Cannot Stand
by MadnessJones
Summary: Bumblebee must face bounty hunters, Quintessons, Decepticons, and dark family secrets in order to save himself and his friends Daniel and Arcee from certain death. Post-movie G1 continuity. Sequel to "A Spark Divided".
1. Peace In Name Only

_Author's Notes: Here it is, ladies and gentlemen! The sequel nobody asked for but I'm writing it anyway! This story is the sequel to my second ever Transformers fic "A Spark Divided". I've planned to do the sequel since before I even finished the first story, and even though this story can be read on its own, I highly suggest you read A Spark Divided first if you haven't already. Hopefully this one will turn out as good or better. Oh, well. Enough rambling. On with the story :)_

* * *

Chapter 1

Peace In Name Only

To say the third Great War ended was a gross overstatement. Sure, it seemed like the Autobots won, but really all they did was up the ante. Now instead of Megatron and his Decepticons vs. Optimus Prime and his Autobots they had the Autobots vs. the Decepticons vs. the Quintessons! It had gone from a civil war to a battle royale, and yet no one wanted to admit that it was still a war.

Galvatron and his forces were not only bloodthirsty but also insane, Rodimus Prime was a young leader that tended to make rash decisions, and the Quintessons were merciless creatures that wanted the very Cybertronians they helped create destroyed without provocation! Needless to say, things were bad for Cybertron.

Fortunately for the citizens of Kloryll, they were nowhere near Cybertron. Kloryll was a neutral colony filled with Cybertronians that fled the third Great War to live out their lives in peace. There were conscientious objectors, former Autobots, and former Decepticons all living in peace. Though to be fair, the Autobots and Decepticons rarely mingled.

Grind Shift looked out on his world with a placid smile on his faceplate. The green skies and shining silver ground were the most beautiful thing in the universe to him. The sky actually looked quite dull, but for some reason that just made the ground look even more spectacular!

"Hey Grind Shift!" Slipshot, a brown motorcycle-former, called out, "Where do you want these energon collectors planted? It's time for the rotation!"

"Oh, just put them near the volcano!" Grind Shift hollered back.

The energon collectors needed to be rotated every quarter vorn or else they would bleed a plot of land dry of its energy. It was, for lack of a better term, the mech equivalent of proper soil conservation.

Grind Shift, having a few astro seconds of free time, decided to watch the skies again and see if he could find any clouds. Clouds weren't common on Kloryll, but they were still a treat for the old car-former. He loved seeing if he could find one.

He looked up to the sky, and saw several small dots flying closer to the planet. That wasn't too odd. Seekers lived on this planet, and every now and then they would fly around to avoid the sky sickness all seekers got when they were cooped up for too long. He smiled at the sight of so many of them flying together.

That warm feeling didn't last. Grind Shift didn't know anything was wrong until there was weapons fire over the suburbs of the living facility!

Immediately someone turned on the alarms and a wailing klaxon blared through the formerly calm atmosphere! Citizens ran from the chaos caused by their unknown assailants. Those that still had weapons began to retaliate. It was sheer bedlam!

Grind Shift ran for the supply bunker knowing that was likely the target! After all, Kloryll wasn't a trading post and didn't have a lot to offer. Their energon had to be the target!

When he got to the bunker he couldn't believe what he was seeing! Vanish, one of the resident femmes, was fighting off a large purple mech with long rounded horns! Both mech and femme had menacing claws and were busy trying to scratch each other!

"Give it up! You are not leaving here with our energon!" Vanish barked at the sinister newcomer.

"Surrender in the name of Galvatron!" The mech shouted as he tried to push her down.

Vanish then freed one of her servos from the larger mech's grasp and took out an energy pistol! She used the energy weapon to shoot the brawling mech in his chest!

Grind Shift, seeing his chance to assist her, grabbed a small pistol that was taped under a table and opened fire on the intruder! He emptied its energy cells on the evil looking mech, but it barely even phased him as he continued to advance on the femme!

The purple mech kicked Vanish in the abdomen and she fell backwards into a vat of oil! She blearily looked up at her assailant, and realized there was no way she could defeat him.

"You had your chance, femme," the mech said softly as he lifted his arm cannon toward her spark chamber, "Now you will feel the might of the Decepticons!"

"You...You are not a _real_ Decepticon!" The femme croaked at him in her strange accent, "Megatron could've kicked Galvatron's afterburners!"

That was definitely the wrong thing to say to Cyclonus. His face contorted into a hateful grimace when he heard those words!

"How _dare you_ insult the mighty Galvatron?!" Cyclonus bellowed as he opened fire on the femme's helpless frame.

Grind Shift couldn't watch this! Vanish was a dear friend of his. She had a youngling. How could this monster just kill her with such reckless abandon? Grind Shift felt his optics swell as coolant leaked down his face. He couldn't remember the last time he wept, but he didn't even bother to hide it now.

Cyclonus, once finished with his grisly task, walked over to Grind Shift with calm purposeful steps. Grind Shift barely registered the presence until the shadow of the purple psychopath fell over him like a grim pall.

"So, old mech," Cyclonus said slowly, "Do you also resist the will of Galvatron?"

"Take whatever you want," Grind Shift whispered in a broken voice, "Just don't hurt anyone else."

"How very generous of you…" Cyclonus replied in a mocking tone.

He then walked over and took a stack of cubes. He didn't look back at the weeping Grind Shift or the still form of Vanish as he left. Grind Shift could vaguely hear one of the intruders call for their troops to depart.

This was a nightmare! Even Megatron was willing to leave neutral colonies alone when they didn't have anything of value! What kind of monster would take the only source of food for a colony too far away to defend itself or call for help? Kloryll was too small to be of any strategic importance! This Galvatron was clearly sadistic! Why else deprive these innocent mechs and femmes of their life's blood?

Grind Shift's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft moan coming from the oil barrel where Vanish had fallen. Grind Shift immediately rushed to her, hoping against all hope that he could save her!

"Vanish! Vanish speak to me!" Grind Shift hollered as he shook her stiffening frame, "Everything's going to be alright. They're gone now, Vanish. Please just hang on! I'll get help!"

Vanish's green optics flickered repeatedly, but she did not speak. Grind Shift only hoped that it wasn't too late. He didn't know what they would do if those creeps ever came back. He also didn't know what he would say to Vanish's youngling if his mother didn't pull through.

* * *

Cybertron was abuzz with activity as mechs and femmes gathered for the unveiling of a new memorial statue dedicated to the heroes of the third Great War. It would be a grand iron-cast statue of Optimus Prime and his officers that died in battle, and below that would be 9 paths diverging from the statue made of steel and carved with the names of every Autobot soldier that had died over the millennia during the conflict. The paths represented every million years of war; 9 million total. It was the grandest memorial ever constructed for the Great War, and Ultra Magnus was the head of the project.

Dignitaries from all over the galaxy had come to watch the unveiling of the memorial. Among them were the ambassadors of earth to Cybertron; Spike and Carly Witwicky. They sat with their son Daniel, Bumblebee, and Arcee. Grimlock and Wheelie would be joining them soon, and despite the solemn tone of the occasion they were still happy to be in good company.

The crowd murmured peacefully for a few moments, but after a while Ultra Magnus showed up and ordered the crowd to find their seats. It took about 20 minutes to get everyone to settle down enough for Ultra Magnus to feel they could properly begin. Rodimus Prime sat behind him along with Kup and Springer. Each wore the grim expression of those aware that this memorial was bigger than it had any right to be. It took this much space to list all of the names of confirmed dead.

"My fellow Cybertronians, and honored guests," Ultra Magnus intoned into the microphone, "We are here on this occasion to remember the Autobots that bravely sacrificed themselves so that we might all live on a free and peaceful Cybertron…"

As Ultra Magnus spoke, Grimlock and Wheelie pushed their way past the seated dignitaries to get to their seats behind their friends. Several ambassadors and emissaries complained when Grimlock shoved them or Wheelie stepped on their feet. They scuttled along until they finally made it to their seats.

"Sorry we are tardy, but we made it to the party," Wheelie whispered to Spike when he and Grimlock were finally situated.

"Me Grimlock cannot hear him Ultra Magnus!" Grimlock complained, "Maybe we should get closer?"

"No Grimlock," Spike hissed; trying not to talk too loudly, "The seats are assigned. You have to stay here."

"Aw, but me Grimlock want to be closer!" Grimlock whined.

"No need to be upset, we're as close as we can get," Wheelie said consolingly as he patted Grimlock's leg.

"Guys, please," Bumblebee whispered urgently, "I'm trying to listen to the speech!"

Ultra Magnus proceeded to recount some of the great battles of Cybertron and the surrounding planets, and then gave more consolations and once again mentioned the bravery of the mechs and femmes that made the world they knew today possible.

When he was finished it was Kup's turn to speak. Naturally, he told many stories about individual Autobots and the brave deeds that cost them their lives. Arcee cried when he mentioned her long-time best friend Moonracer and how she had been killed by Shockwave after a classified mission had gone wrong. To this day no one had found Elita One's body or even knew if she survived or not.

Rodimus Prime was the last one to speak. He was nervous about what kind of speech he would give. Oration was never his strong suit. He looked out at the crowd of gathered Cybertronians and aliens, and wondered how many of them were there to mourn those they personally knew. He took in a deep intake of air, and the flame-painted Prime proceeded to speak.

"I know this war has touched us all in some way. I know it changed me," Rodimus said; hoping he didn't sound too bland, "Some of you lost friends, relatives, and even saw people you thought you knew turn to the side of evil. Pacifists have killed to stay alive, mechs left Cybertron never to return, and sparklings have been orphaned by the death of their creators. Truth is, Cybertron will never be what it was, but all we can do now is try to keep the next generation from becoming as jaded as we are. You probably noticed that this memorial is big. Well, that's because a lot of mechs and femmes died. This isn't just a memorial. It's also a reminder of what happens when war becomes a way of life. Let's never let that happen again. Don't let the deaths of these brave sparks be in vain. Thank you."

The crowd respectfully clapped for Rodimus as he left the stage, but part of him wondered if he'd crossed a line. Deep down, he just couldn't say sweet words to make this be okay. This was a grave without bodies, and a testament to the greed and senselessness of their forefathers. The council, Megatron, and all of Cybertron had spilled energon on their hands. He could ignore that when he was younger and they were in the middle of the conflict, but now that he was Prime and trying to see his people through to a peaceful tomorrow...He just couldn't gloss over what their world had become. He would not have wanted to be Optimus Prime back then. He, in all honesty, didn't want to be Prime _now_.

* * *

Spike, Carly, Daniel, Bumblebee, Arcee, Grimlock, and Wheelie strolled down the newly unveiled memorial. Most of the dignitaries had gone to the buffet, but there were still a few stragglers lingering at the statue and the walkways.

The statue had been a somber reminder for all of them, but Bumblebee felt a special twinge of nostalgia and loss when he saw it. There was Optimus Prime, in the middle of it all hefting his rifle in the air. On his left was Ironhide, and on his right was Prowl. There were many other iron-casted mechs surrounding them. Ratchet, Wheeljack, Brawn, Huffer, Windcharger, Red Alert, and several others that Bumblebee couldn't see anymore due to the coolant leaking from his optics.

Those mechs had been his family after he lost his spark-parents on Cybertron. Ironhide had raised Bumblebee as his own despite the fact that Bumblebee was the human equivalent of a teenager. Prowl had taught him about discipline, Wheeljack had taught him about the different inventions of other cultures (which had started Bumblebee's lifelong fascination with other planets), and Ratchet had taught him about loyalty at all costs (even when the twins are driving you nuts). Most important of all though, Optimus Prime had taught him about the value of friendship and the value of sapient rights and freedom. He would never forget his surrogate family.

The group traveled along one of the pathways and read the names carved below their feet. Starwish, Gunmetal, Wind Leaf, Shockshell, Trapeze, Gem Runner, Trill, Leodox-

 _Wait_ …

"Hey guys, look!" Bumblebee exclaimed as he pointed to the name Leodox.

"Leodox?" Arcee asked, "Who is that?"

"That was my father," Bumblebee informed her, "He was earth's first Autobot casualty. He died when Starscream shot him over the ocean. He was a brave mech…"

"I didn't know your father went with you to earth," Arcee remarked.

"He didn't," Bumblebee shook his head sadly, "He and my mother were on earth to visit me. He wasn't there for more than a week or two. I don't remember exactly how long they were there, but I don't think it was even an orn."

"Your mother must've been so upset," Arcee said sympathetically.

"She was," Bumblebee replied without elaboration.

Bumblebee didn't want to tell Arcee that his mother, in her grief, had committed suicide trying to kill Starscream and avenge her spark mate's death. He loved his parents, and didn't want to think of them like that. At least his father got a place in the Autobot memorial for his sacrifice. His mother was doomed to be wiped from history, as she had been a Decepticon spy that just happened to have a grudge against another Decepticon. Bumblebee _definitely_ didn't want to remember her like that!

"When we go to buffet?" Grimlock asked; breaking everyone out of their melancholy thoughts, "Me Grimlock want to get there before all the energon snacks are gone!"

"Energon snacks? Then let's make tracks!" Wheelie exclaimed as he pushed Grimlock to make him go faster.

Spike and Carly laughed at the mechs' silly antics and followed them to the buffet. Daniel said he wanted to stay with Bumblebee and Arcee at the memorial for a few more minutes, and his parents said it was alright. Spike was surprised Daniel wasn't hungry yet, but he also knew how much his son loved hanging out with Arcee. It made sense that he would stay with her and Bumblebee and ask questions.

"So, which Autobot is that?" Daniel asked as he pointed to the statue.

"That's Huffer," Bumblebee replied, "You were probably too young to remember meeting him. He was transferred to Mars Base when you were just a toddler. He died after the Decepticons tried to take over Mars Base. We kept the base, but Huffer and 6 others lost their lives in that skirmish. I can just imagine him grumbling about the attack the entire time. He was the type that let you know whenever he had a problem. Kind of like Gears. Sadly, he was also lost during the Mars Base attack…"

To Daniel, these events were too far away from his limited recollection to be sad, but Cybertronians lived for millions of years. 6 years ago was like earlier that morning to them!

Just as Daniel was about to ask Arcee another question, she held her hand up and placed another hand on the side of her helm.

"What is it, Arcee?" Bumblebee asked nervously.

"I'm receiving a transmission from the Gralix system," Arcee told him, "It's an Autobot distress signal! Their ship has run out of fuel and they need assistance in making it back to Cybertron."

Bumblebee knew exactly where Gralix was. It was a lawless part of the galaxy where aliens of many different species gathered, yet no decent being dared to tread. If there was a ship out there, then the Autobots needed to get there as quickly as possible to save their comrades!


	2. Lying In Wait

_Author's Notes: Well, I'm not exactly happy with this chapter, but it's just a set-up chapter for the plot so it's probably fine. Hopefully you guys will like this chapter and will stick around for the rest of the story. Thank you to those that have favorited, followed, and reviewed! You guys are great :)_

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Chapter 2

Lying In Wait

Bumblebee and Arcee were quick to tell Rodimus Prime about the distress signal they picked up on. Ultra Magnus had heard the same signal, and the Autobots knew they didn't have much time if their fellow Cybertronians were trapped in Gralix. For all they knew those Autobots could already be captured or dead. knowing they didn't have much time, they all met in the conference room to discuss the situation.

"Who are we going to send on this mission, Rodimus?" Ultra Magnus asked, "Most of us are needed here at the unveiling celebration. The dignitaries would be very put off if our most important government officials snubbed them after they came all this way."

"You're right," Rodimus replied thoughtfully, "Bumblebee, you're an experienced scout and was one of Optimus Prime's most trusted soldiers. I think you should lead the rescue, and take a small crew with you."

"Alright. I think I should take Arcee, Wheelie, Wreck-Gar, and the Dinobots," Bumblebee suggested.

"Very well then," Rodimus nodded, "Take the shuttle on C deck. Just be careful out there. You could run into anything."

"You can count on me, sir," Bumblebee promised.

"Dismissed," Rodimus said as he and Ultra Magnus turned to leave the room and return to the party.

Bumblebee and Arcee informed their crew of their departure, and nearly all of them complained about having to leave before the desserts were unveiled. Arcee sighed and shook her head, while Bumblebee smiled to himself at the goofiness of his friends and colleagues.

When they went outside to head to C deck, they were met by Daniel who looked up at them happily; oblivious to the dangerous mission they had just been assigned.

"Hey Arcee, where are you and the others going?" Daniel asked.

"We're going to rescue some stranded Autobots in the Gralix sector," Arcee informed him.

"Cool! Can I come too?" Daniel asked eagerly.

"No. I'm sorry Daniel, but it's very dangerous," Arcee explained gently, "You could get hurt."

"Aw, come on! Let me come, too!" Daniel pleaded, "It's gotta be more exciting than this boring old party."

"Yeah, me thought parties were supposed to be fun!" Grimlock complained, "Nothing but boring talking and sad stuff!"

"What are you complaining about? You get to leave," Bumblebee reminded him.

"Oh. Me Grimlock forgot," Grimlock replied.

Most of the others shared a good laugh and made their way back to the space ship. Wreck-Gar and Slag loaded the weapons while Sludge and Swoop gathered energon for the trip.

The Autobots left together in the shuttle, 9 in all, and got on their way into the depths of outer space. What they didn't know was that they had a little organic stowaway on the ship as well. Daniel just couldn't resist the call of adventure!

* * *

Meanwhile, the Porcelain Throne was adrift in the Gralix sector and awaiting their Autobot rescuers. The crew continued to check their scanners and pump in just enough energy to keep the ship going. They didn't move, and to any outsider the ship looked inoperable.

"Captain, can we turn the lights on now?" The navigator whined.

"Uh, _no_!" The captain rudely replied, "We have to wait for the Autobots. If this works out the payday is gonna be huge!"

"How many ya figger's gonna be on their ship?" His first mate asked him.

"Patience, Barge. We'll know soon enough," was the captain's airy reply.

"Captain Sun Vulture! I'm picking up a ship!" The navigator's assistant exclaimed.

"Is it our _clients_?" Sun Vulture asked pointedly.

"No sir, it appears to be our target," replied the navigator.

"Alright then. Barge my gal, bring the ship online and power up our weapons!" Sun Vulture ordered enthusiastically, "Those Autobots mustn't be allowed the chance to retaliate!"

* * *

Bumblebee and the crew looked at the ship and were relieved to find it in one piece. It was a beautiful chrome ship with several expensive looking pieces of weaponry and equipment attached.

"Is that an Autobot ship?" Arcee asked skeptically, "It looks too...gaudy."

"Hm...I'm checking the registration now," Bumblebee said distractedly as he typed into the ship's computer, "...It says the ship is named the Porcelain Throne, and it's registered to-"

Before Bumblebee could finish, however, their shuttle was fired upon by the so-called _ship in distress_. The shot hit true, and everything rattled as their fuel lines took heavy damage! The next shot knocked out their weapons, and soon they found themselves crippled and without firepower in the vacuum of space! The emergency alarms blared, and Bumblebee found himself wondering how a loud blaring siren was supposed to help him think and keep calm in an emergency situation.

"Bumblebee! A shuttle has exited the attacking ship and is heading right for us!" Arcee shouted over the sound of alarms.

"They're trying to board us!" Bumblebee summarized.

"Fire photon torpedoes, Mr. Spock!" Wreck-Gar quoted.

"We can't. We don't have any weapons to fire at their ship with," Bumblebee reminded him, "We'll just have to use the hand weapons we packed and fight them off once they come inside."

The crew went to the supply closet to get their guns and cannons. Arcee was the first to make it there, and when she did she saw that Daniel was hiding in the supply closet and smiling sheepishly up at her.

"Daniel!" Arcee cried out in panic.

"Hi Arcee…" Daniel simpered, "Have you guys found the Autobot ship yet?"

"There is no Autobot ship. We're under attack," Arcee explained, "Get out of the weapons room! You could get hurt. We need our weapons if we're going to fight them off."

"Okay…" Daniel said softly; sorry he disobeyed but disappointed they weren't happier to see him.

Everyone took a weapon (except Daniel) and waited for the inevitable. Arcee helped Daniel into his space suit so he would be able to breathe and defend himself if he found himself in the middle of the struggle.

Soon enough, the light from a welder's torch could be seen as the mysterious attackers forced their way in through the wall. The artificial gravity held, and the Autobots prepared themselves for the fight. Six Cybertronian mechs burst through the newly made opening and converged on the Autobots. Bumblebee noticed that they didn't have sigils and most had yellow or green eyes. That indicated they were neutrals and therefore not Decepticons. Nobody knew why neutrals would ambush them out in the middle of nowhere.

A large olive green boat-former tackled Swoop to the ground, and Grimlock and his brothers all went after the one who dared attack their little brother! Wreck-Gar and Wheelie fought off a couple of lightweight cycle-formers, leaving Bumblebee and Arcee to fight off the other three; triple changers.

The Dinobots tried to turn the boat-former into a chew toy, but she quickly gave them the slip and confused them into attacking each other! The boat-former, Barge, looked around for an easier target to bring to her captain. One of the cycle-bots knocked out Wreck-Gar and ran over to Barge with Wreck-Gar draped over his shoulders like a trophy. He smiled like a youngling as he presented his catch.

"Hey Barge, how much do you think our clients will pay for this one?" Asked the cycle-former lackey.

"Nothin'," Barge said bluntly, "That there's a Junkion. Don't you remember what Captain Sun Vulture said? Only Autobots."

Wheelie managed to fight off the other cycle-former until the coward ran back to his own ship, and then looked around to see if he could find Daniel. Daniel was crawling under the console, and Wheelie ducked down so he could crawl under as well.

"This is some fight. Are you alright?" Wheelie whispered to Daniel.

"I'm fine, Wheelie," Daniel replied "Who are they?"

"I don't know. They must be foes," Wheelie shrugged.

Wheelie took a look to see what was going on. The Dinobots were still fighting each other in their frenzied stupor, Wreck-Gar was still passed out cold, and Bumblebee and Arcee were left to fight off the remaining 5 enemies. Wheelie wanted to protect Daniel, but he also knew his friends needed his help. Reluctantly, he left the safety of the console and went after one of the triple changers to get him off Bumblebee's back.

Barge had seen where Wheelie came from, and also saw that there was something small moving under there. At first she thought they had an organic infestation, but then she remembered that Autobots love adorable critters, so she figured out that this thing must be their friend or colleague.

She broke away from the battle royale and snuck over to where Daniel was hiding. He was so focused on the fight that he didn't even see the large boat-former reaching her oversized oxidized hand out to grab him until it was too late! Daniel screamed and struggled to get out of Barge's grasp, but her hold was too strong!

"Hold it!" Barge bellowed to get everyone to stop fighting, which they did when they saw who she had in her hand, "Alright Autobots, if you don't want me to terminate this here sack 'a guts, then you'll do exactly as I say!"

Everyone froze when Barge said those words. Everyone cared about Daniel. He was a friend to Wheelie and the Dinobots, he was like a son to Arcee, and Bumblebee thought of himself as the boy's uncle. After all, Daniel was the progeny of his best friend Spike. He would never forgive himself if anything ever happened to him.

"What do you want?" Bumblebee asked through gritted denta.

"I want Autobots!" Barge demanded, "I want prisoners, and if you value the safety of this hairy turbo rat you'll cooperate."

"Fine. I'll go," Bumblebee replied resolutely, "Just don't hurt the others."

Several Autobot voices rose up to protest the decision, it Bumblebee wouldn't hear of it. He wouldn't endanger anyone else's lives if he could help it.

"One Autobot isn't enough," Barge pressed, "I want two, or else I'll kill 'im."

Daniel continued to try to get out of the femme's grip, but he couldn't. Even if he could, it was a long way down and he probably wouldn't survive such a fall.

"I'll go, too," Arcee offered.

"No! Don't do it, Arcee! You can't have anyone else!" Bumblebee shouted first at Arcee and then at Barge.

"You've done it now, yellow mech," Barge growled, "Restrain them!"

The triple changers surrounded Bumblebee and Arcee and wrapped them in energon wire before either one knew what was happening! Barge smiled wickedly as she gave the order to escort the two Autobots onto their ship. The Dinobots almost charged the invaders, but Barge squeezed Daniel, causing him to scream in pain and stopping the Dinobots from moving further.

Barge realized she would need a way to keep the prisoners well-behaved, and the best way to do that was with Daniel, so she took him with her. Wreck-Gar woke up in time to see the other ship fly away. Everyone was stunned by what had just happened. Bumblebee, Arcee, and Daniel had been abducted!

Realizing they would never catch the ship in time, Wheelie ran for the console and fired a tracer; attaching it to the unknown ship. At least this way when reinforcements arrived they would have something to work with.


	3. Sun Vulture

_Author's Notes: When I was writing this chapter I was also eating thin mints, and when I read the box it said_ Produced with Genetic Engineering. _So...In movies and in books genetic engineering gives you cool powers or mutated monsters, and in reality it gives you thin mints. Good to know._

 _Anyway, this chapter is short, but I'm still happy with the way it turned out. Some nice set-up here. Anyway, I'm grateful for the support you guys have given me for this story so far, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter :)_

* * *

Chapter 3

Sun Vulture

Rodimus Prime and his forces made it to the downed shuttle a few joors after the distress call was sent out by them. Wheelie and Grimlock explained the situation to Rodimus, and by the end of it the Prime looked like he was getting a migraine from listening to them.

"I can't believe they got Arcee and Bumblebee!" Springer spat in frustration.

"What about him Daniel?" Grimlock reminded them, "How we going to tell him Spike and her Carly?"

"I'll talk to them," Rodimus offered, "Don't worry. We'll do everything in our power to track down the low-lives who did this."

"Hey, Rodimus, check this out!" Kup called from his place at the console, "I managed to salvage the search records from before the attack. According to the serial number on that ship, it's registered to a neutral Cybertronian by the name of Sun Vulture. Get this, he named his ship the Porcelain Throne! Hah, I wonder if this guy's ever been to earth? If he knew what that phrase meant down there he might've reconsidered."

Rodimus smirked despite the somberness of the mood. He pictured a giant toilet floating through space and couldn't help but snort with repressed laughter.

"What can we find out about this Sun Vulture?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"Well let's see…" Kup typed in the name on the computer on his wrist, and only one name came up, "...According to this, Sun Vulture is a seeker. He's known for helping catch some of the most dangerous criminals in several solar systems. He's a bounty hunter, or a hit man depending on who you ask. He and his crew will catch anyone for the right price. My guess is they were contracted by the Decepticons to capture or kill as many Autobots as possible."

"I don't know. Something about this doesn't add up," Rodimus said soberly, "If they were after Autobots, then why take Daniel?"

"Likely to keep Bumblebee and Arcee compliant," Ultra Magnus reasoned, "Wheelie did mention that they left Wreck-Gar behind because he wasn't a true Autobot."

"I suppose so, but the real question becomes where will they go now?" Rodimus asked.

"Most likely to meet with the Decepticons," Kup supplied, "Our sources last said they were back on planet Charr. Our best bet is to go there and head them off before they get their mits on our friends."

"I'm with Kup, let's go up, up, up!" Wheelie said enthusiastically.

"Alright then," Rodimus said as he paced the shuttle, "Everyone board Sky Lynx and let's move out."

The crew gathered what supplies they could carry before they left the shuttle and boarded Sky Lynx. To ensure that no Autobot technology was stolen by any marauders out in the system, Sky Lynx shot the shuttle and blew it to bits! If they were going to find their friends, then they didn't have a moment to lose…

* * *

Bumblebee, Arcee, and Daniel were violently pushed every few seconds to keep them moving down the long corridors of the Porcelain Throne. The restraints seemed to be designed to drain their energy faster, so if he and Arcee didn't refuel quickly they would go into stasis lock within a few hours. Daniel was still wearing his space suit, but it's defensive capabilities didn't seem to do him much good against the hulking monstrosities that were currently giving them the not-so-grand tour.

"Turn here!" Barge commanded both prisoners and crew, "You should feel honored, Autobots. We're gonna introduce you to the captain before we send you to the brig. At the very least he'll probably want that squishy thing as a pet. Captain Sun Vulture has a taste for the exotic and a soft spark for organics. Poor kid…"

Bumblebee didn't know if she was referring to Daniel or their captain with that last line, but either way he didn't want to stick around to find out. Of course, no one felt inclined to give Bumblebee a choice in the matter.

The group finally made it to a gilded double door that whooshed open once they stepped close enough. Inside was the bridge of the ship, and it was immediately clear who was in charge based on the ostentatious chair perched on a pedestal in the middle of the room.

"Ah, Barge old gal! I see you brought the prisoners in for inspection. Good…" Sun Vulture said with a sly smirk as he looked over first Arcee and then Bumblebee...and then Arcee again.

Arcee scowled at the lecherous look the seeker was giving her. Still, she found it hard not to stare back, not because he was beautiful by himself but because of all the welded jewels and gold pieces on his frame. Sun Vulture was yellow with a golden helm, forearms, pedes, and wings. His wings were littered with gemstones and pieces of welded jewelry, and the bottom of his wings were dripping with piercings! She would be surprised if he could still fly or transform! His cunning eyes were emerald green, and seemed to bore right through her.

The Autobots were pushed until they were standing before the ship's garish captain. He eyed them with an appraising look, as if he were looking over a new piece of finery or a new jewel. Daniel tried to slink away, but one of the triple changers took him and presented him to Sun Vulture.

"Captain, we found this thing on the ship. Do you want it?" The triple changer asked as he held up Daniel, who was struggling in his grasp.

"Hm...I think I know what that is. It's a human, right?" Sun Vulture asked.

"Yeah, so what if he is?" Bumblebee snapped; unwilling to play this seeker's games.

"I've always wanted one of those," Sun Vulture replied wistfully, though whether or not he was actually answering Bumblebee or his subordinate was unclear, "Give it to me and then find out what these things eat. I don't want to kill my human before I even get a chance to know him. It is a _him_ , right?"

Arcee rolled her optics and then loudly asked "What do you want with us, you jerk?"

"Oh, I don't want anything," Sun Vulture replied nonchalantly, "My clients, however, want you dead, and they want to be the ones to do it. So, I'm taking you to them so you can face their home-cooked brand of justice. Oh, don't give me that look, sweet spark. It isn't anything personal, it's just business. Roughhouse, Chamber Lock, take them to their _guest suites._ "

Sun Vulture then laughed at his own cruel joke as two of the triple changers grabbed Bumblebee and Arcee. They didn't have enough energy left to fight, but they glared at Sun Vulture and he was sure if either of them could they would punch him in the face. Oh well, it wasn't the first time a prisoner felt that way about him.

Daniel tried to escape Sun Vulture but one of the cycle-formers grabbed him again and put him back in the seeker's hand. Sun Vulture ripped away the suit's mask, and Daniel screamed as metal and glass were torn away near his face! When Daniel stopped screaming, Sun Vulture started to pet the boy's head, and Daniel looked up at him with hatred and defiance. He knew Bumblebee and Arcee would get free and save him! This mean old seeker didn't stand a chance!

* * *

Bumblebee and Arcee were deposited into a barely-lit cell with a combination of physical latticework bars, energy barriers, and magnetic shielding. It was clear that the bounty hunters spared no expense in making their brig the most secure part of the ship. Arcee sighed, and Bumblebee slumped into a cot; grateful that at least the energy-sapping restraints were finally gone.

"You know what I think?" Arcee asked Bumblebee, and when he didn't answer her she continued anyway, "I think this Sun Vulture guy doesn't know how to manage money. Why get into a business like this when you have to pour every cent you make back into the brig?"

"Who cares?" Bumblebee asked glumly, "Besides, he probably just enjoys the misery of others. I've seen his type before."

"Yeah, me too," Arcee replied, her tone growing more serious, "I always thought after the war that we'd find real peace, but so far it seems like things are even more unstable. First Galvatron, then the Quintessons, then several interplanetary incidents, and now this. Usually when I think of neutrals I think of peace loving mechs that just wanted to stop fighting their fellow Cybertronians, but this guy…"

"He's the exception, not the rule," Bumblebee reassured her with a firm tone of voice, "I know some neutrals use their status to take advantage of both sides, but most of them aren't like that. Don't worry, we'll get out of this. I'll think of something. This isn't the end."

"I know, Bumblebee," Arcee said with a small smile, "I know."


	4. The Clients

_Author's Notes: Wow, it has been forever since I worked on this fic! I started strong but then quit too soon. Well, finally I have another chapter out, and hopefully I can update this fic at a more regular pace now. Please review, since I love to hear from you guys, and I hope everyone is having a great week :)_

* * *

Chapter 4

The Clients

Sun Vulture was in his room with Daniel in his servo. He took the boy's space suit off, and Daniel instinctively gasped when Sun Vulture walked by the airlock next to the exit. Surprisingly though, Sun Vulture didn't eject him and was content to absentmindedly pat the boy's head while he walked to his berth.

"Alright little man, I'm gonna need you to be quiet while I make a call on the monitor over there. Can you do that for me?" Sun Vulture asked patronizingly.

Daniel hated the way this big bully talked to him, and hated even more being petted by the glistening tyrant, but he also knew that the call could be important to the Autobots, so he nodded his agreement to be quiet so he could listen in on the call. Sun Vulture smiled a crooked smile and flipped a switch on his remote control to activate the monitor. As soon as the picture cleared, it revealed one of the five faces of a Quintesson!

"So good to hear from you, Sun Vulture," the Quintesson said, and then flipped its faces around so another one could speak, "Do you have the cargo?"

"Sure thing, squid dude!" Sun Vulture replied in an overly casual way, "We caught two Autobots. No Decepticons yet, but give it time. We'll get them. I trust my payment will be ready when we get there?"

"Of course, your credits will be transferred upon your arrival," the Quintesson replied with a sinister tone. To be fair, _everything_ they said sounded sinister.

"Great! See you then," Sun Vulture exclaimed and then turned off the screen to hang up on the Quintesson, "Listen Danny boy, when we get to the planet, I'm gonna need you to stay on the ship. I don't want you to see what those things do to the Autobots. It'll screw you up for life, _believe_ me!"

"Bumblebee and Arcee will escape, you'll see!" Daniel shouted defiantly up at the golden colored seeker.

"Such a brave little human," Sun Vulture cooed mockingly, "Don't you get it? They're Sharkticon food! The Quints want them for those fake trials they hold, and between my brig and the squids' defenses there's no way they're getting out!"

Daniel face was angry and full of reproach, but the tears streaming down his face gave away his real feelings. He was starting to believe the bounty hunter captain was right, and that both saddened and terrified him.

Just then the door swooshed open and a teal colored triple changer walked in holding a small steel box.

"Ah, Roughhouse my mech!" Sun Vulture greeted him openly, "Did you find anything in our barter-payments room?"

"Yessir," Roughhouse nodded curtly, "I found water for the human, as well as a type of food they eat called _crackers_. There's also a jar of brown stuff called _peanut butter_ that's supposed to go on the crackers. There's enough here to keep the little squishy fed for months. Maybe an entire earth year."

"Perfect!" Sun Vulture exclaimed happily, "Just set it on my nightstand. It's probably time for his feeding anyway. What do you say, Danny? Wanna cracker?"

Daniel just stared up at Sun Vulture for a moment and appreciate the absurdity of the situation. Here was Sun Vulture, the closest thing Cybertron had to a bird, offering Daniel, a human, a cracker. He just hoped Sun Vulture didn't rename him Polly.

* * *

Rodimus and his band of Autobots landed on planet Charr. The landscape was just as barren as ever. Nothing but red sky and brown rocks for as far as the optic could see. Honestly, Rodimus wasn't even sure why this place was called a planet. It was too small. _Rhode Island_ was bigger than this place!

Kup scanned the surrounding area, but he picked up no life signatures. There was nothing there. Not a Decepticon, not an organic, not even a microbe. It was just another dead world amid the millions of dead worlds in the universe.

"Where do you think they went?" Kup asked Rodimus.

"I'm not sure," Rodimus answered honestly, "Probably to meet up with the Porcelain Throne. I can't believe Galvatron was so cowardly that he hired a group of bounty hunters to capture our friends. It makes me sick."

"Maybe Galvatron didn't hire them at all," Ultra Magnus posited, "Think about it, Rodimus. Galvatron is the type that charges into battle without thinking and attacks without mercy. Hiring a mercenary doesn't sound like him. Whoever hired Sun Vulture clearly didn't want to get their hands dirty."

"Hm...Maybe Cyclonus?" Rodimus asked.

"No. Not his style," Ultra Magnus refuted, "He's a Decepticon, but he's also a warrior that believes in honor and duty above all else. He would at least give Bumblebee and Arcee a fighting chance. An ambush doesn't sound like him."

"But you know who it does sound like?" Kup spoke up then.

It hit Rodimus in that moment, and immediately he said what Kup was already thinking…

"The Quintessons!"

* * *

Bumblebee and Arcee heard someone coming for them. They tensed up and waited to see if it was their captors or their rescuers. They were disappointed to see two of Sun Vulture's goons flanking them. They were roughly forced to their pedes and shoved out of the cell and down the hall. Arcee tried to punch one of them in the nose cone, but she couldn't get her arm free. Bumblebee was still too tired to fight from the energy restraint cuffs from before. Whatever awaited them they would just have to see.

"Where are you taking us?" Arcee asked gruffly as she struggled in a burly mech's grip.

"The cap'n has ordered us to take ya down to the planet," one of the triple changers (the one holding Bumblebee) informed them, "We're at the coordinates, and soon the lot of ya will be given a nice new home with the squids."

"Squids?" Bumblebee asked, "You don't mean the Quintessons, do you?"

"Shut up and keep movin'!" The triple changer ordered.

They were forced onto a small transport vehicle and chained to their seats. Arcee searched for a lock pick or anything that could help them commandeer the shuttle, but there was nothing. Bumblebee tried breaking the chain over his knee a few times, but it wouldn't budge. This syndicate clearly had credits to burn on reinforced alloys and other means of keeping their prisoners helpless.

The shuttle landed on a desolate planet with a grey rocky surface and a plain black sky. It was little more than an asteroid, which made the artificial ring of light they were landing beside all the more noticeable. Sun Vulture stood center stage and waited for his clients and their cargo to arrive. When Bumblebee and Arcee were presented to the obnoxious captain they both glared at him hatefully but said nothing.

"Ah, glad to see you arrived safely," Sun Vulture greeted them with a warm smile that did nothing to hide his sinister intentions.

"Where's Daniel?" Bumblebee asked roughly as he scowled fiercely at the seeker.

"He's safe," Sun Vulture replied casually, "I didn't want him to see the squids take you away. He's such a young organic. I don't see why you would put him in danger like that. I thought the humans were your allies."

"Don't speak to us about our friends, you monster!" Arcee barked furiously as she tried to break out of the hold her guard had her in.

"Such a temper," Sun Vulture chided the pink femme, "I'm sure the Quints will enjoy pronouncing you _innocent_."

Sun Vulture then laughed evilly, and the full implications of what was happening finally sunk in. They were being sold as food for the pets of some of the worst beings in the galaxy. The Quintessons were soulless creatures that built Cybertronians to be slaves and killed innocent life form for their own amusement.

"No! You can't do this!" Bumblebee shouted at Sun Vulture.

" _So_ cliche," Sun Vulture shook his head ruefully, "Well, just to add to the cliche: I can and I will. The Quintessons are paying me quite handsomely for your carcasses, and once they pay me I'll go back out there and collect more victims for them. Trust me, I have my reasons. Hopefully, I won't need to collect too many more. It does get rather tiresome after a while."

The Quintesson ship came into view even as Sun Vulture was speaking. The ugly disjointed corkscrew shape was feared all over the galaxy, and those foul five-faced demons would arrive any moment. Bumblebee was desperate now, as he knew there was no way to escape Sun Vulture and his mechs. He had no tricks left, and only one card left to play...

"Wait! Sun Vulture, don't give them Arcee," Bumblebee pleaded quickly, "You'll still get paid for me, but let Arcee return to the ship with you! She doesn't deserve this, and Daniel still needs her! She's, uh, Daniel's...adopted mother! Yes, she is Daniel's mother. Please, let her go back to Daniel."

Bumblebee couldn't believe he was lying like this. It was crazy! That sociopath wasn't going to care about some fake sob story, and Arcee was just as doomed as him. It was all Bumblebee could think of though, and he had to try.

Sun Vulture looked first at Arcee and then at Bumblebee. He looked thoughtful as he touched a digit to his chin and stared at his prisoners. Finally, he said "Roughhouse, take the femme back to the shuttle."

" _What_? But captain! She's worth-" the triple changer tried to argue.

"I don't wanna hear it!" Sun Vulture interrupted his lackey, "You know my rule. Nobody comes between a boy and his mother. She returns with us."

Bumblebee couldn't believe what he was hearing. It worked. It actually worked! There _was_ a soft spot in the bounty hunter's spark. Bumblebee knew he would be forced to face the Quintessons, and he would probably die, but seeing Arcee loaded back onto the transport made it all worthwhile. At least one of them would make it home.

The Quintessons landed a few minutes later and three of them disembarked from the ship. They all wore the face of War; a fat face with a red crown. The Quintessons didn't have names for each individual, but each of their five faces had a name. There was War, Death, Wisdom, Judgment, and Wrath. Apparently, these were the only emotions they were capable of expressing...if those even counted as emotions. They were truly abominations the likes of which most beings had trouble comprehending. Bumblebee saw them, and felt hatred brewing in his spark.

"Good day, Sun Vulture," a War greeted the seeker, and then spun around to show Death; a face that looked like a pharaoh's skull, "Do you have our prisoners?"

"I only have one," Sun Vulture shrugged, "The other one escaped. Sorry. Anyway, just transfer my credits for this specimen and I'll be off to gather more defendants for you. I prefer my payments be sent to an account I keep on Topitron."

"Negative," Death said, and turned around so that Wrath faced Sun Vulture, "You promised us _two_ prisoners, and two is what we shall have."

The two other Quintessons surrounding them then used their thin wiry tentacles to shock Sun Vulture into stasis lock! The crew members watched in stunned silence as the Quintessons loaded Bumblebee and Sun Vulture into their ship and left with them. They had to tell Barge immediately! If they didn't go after the Quintesson ship, then they would never get paid!


	5. Staff Meeting

_Author's Notes: Yay! An update in a timely fashion! I'm not even sure that many people care about this fic, but I'm continuing anyway. There isn't enough fanfiction on this site that deals with season 3 of G1. It seems to be the season everyone wants to forget happened, and believe me, I understand. There were a lot of elements that didn't work. That being said, there are a lot of elements about season 3 that aren't explored enough. The Quintessons are Eldritch Abominations, the dynamic between Galvatron and Cyclonus is unique, Rodimus Prime has to fill the shoes of a mech everyone considers a hero, and Wheelie is just so- I'm just kidding. I don't like Wheelie. Anyway, thank you for reading this far, and please review :)_

* * *

Chapter 5

Staff Meeting

Galvatron paced around the bridge of the Decepticon ship and snarled like a caged animal. They had narrowly avoided being destroyed by the Quintesson ship last orn, and Galvatron was itching for payback!

"Scourge! Cyclonus! Where are the rest of the troops?" Galvatron bellowed forcefully.

"You sent them out to scout for energon 2 joors ago, my liege," Cyclonus answered dutifully.

" _What_? They left when we're at a tactical disadvantage?" Galvatron shrieked, "Well, they will be sorry for this! I will tear those traitors apart!"

"Um, sir...They were just following your orders," Scourge reminded him timidly; his claws over his face in a defensive posture.

"You dare make excuses for traitors!?" Galvatron shouted at Scourge accusingly, "Maybe you wish to join them in the pits of inferno!"

"Forgive him, master," Cyclonus bowed as he spoke to Galvatron, "We will punish the traitors personally."

"Very good, Cyclonus," Galvatron's angry demeanor was quashed in favor of a sinister smile, "At least I can count on _someone_ in this outfit. You are both dismissed."

Cyclonus took Scourge by the elbow and led him away from the bridge. Fortunately there were still a few Sweeps working the controls, otherwise there would be no one to pilot the ship in their absence. Not that Galvatron ever thought about the nuts and bolts of running the ship. The pair found themselves in a nearly empty supply room before Scourge dared speak freely.

"Are we really going to punish our own troops for doing what they were supposed to do?" Scourge asked derisively, "We need that energon! Galvatron should be grateful he still has an army at all."

"We will not punish them, Scourge," Cyclonus said curtly, "However, I would advise you to watch what you say about our glorious leader. Galvatron's might and genius has led the Decepticons through our darkest hour, and I will not tolerate slander against Mighty Galvatron."

"Cyclonus, when are you going to understand?" Scourge asked pleadingly, " _You_ are the reason we are alive, not Galvatron. If I had anywhere else to go I would have already left. If Galvatron would not kill me, I would turn neutral. Pit, at this point I would probably beg the Autobots to let me in!"

" _Enough_!" Cyclonus cut him off, "Because of our long-standing friendship, I am going to pretend I did not hear these words against our leader, but if you ever speak against Galvatron again, I will kill you myself."

"...Yes, Cyclonus. I understand. Forgive me, brother," Scourge replied contritely, "I'm going to repair the outer hull. We took a few pot shots from those blasted Quints. Do you have a welder I could borrow?"

"One moment," Cyclonus replied as he rifled through his subspace for the device his underling needed.

Cyclonus hadn't used the welder in a long time, so he was having trouble finding it. He pulled out his gun, a bomb, and several tracking chips. He finally felt a long slender device and was sure it was the welder. It was not.

"What the pit is _that_?" Scourge asked as he pointed to the strange object in Cyclonus's hand.

It was a long staff coated in mother of pearl. The barrel was the head of an angry serpent, and it appeared to fire plasma energy. It looked to be of a custom design, but it was made with Decepticon parts.

"I...I do not know what this is," Cyclonus replied; confused, "Give me a moment to find the welder."

Cyclonus threw out more junk from his subspace until he found the welder Scourge needed for his repairs. Scourge thanked him and left, and Cyclonus turned his attention back to the translucent scepter.

He knew he had seen this weapon before. It clearly wasn't his. His weapons were big and powerful. This device was small and lightweight. It looked like it was designed for a minibot or a femme. More likely a femme given its length. If this was a femme's staff then why did he have it? What was this obsolete thing doing in his subspace?

Cyclonus didn't understand, but he would research it later. At the moment he needed to return to Galvatron. His lord and master might need something, and Cyclonus was not the type to slack off on the job. Scourge was like a brother to Cyclonus, but his undying loyalty would always be with Galvatron, the mech that conquered death, the Autobots, and Unicron himself. There was no other place Cyclonus would rather be than by his master's side.

* * *

Arcee was taken back to the Porcelain Throne. She was still wary of the situation, but the crewmechs assured her that they were only going back to give her Daniel and then she could leave.

The triple changers flanked Arcee on either side to prevent her from attacking or escaping. She was sure they were still keeping her prisoner for a reason, but she couldn't even begin to guess why.

Barge was in the docking bay waiting for their return. The old boat-former looked worried. Arcee had never seen anything other than a hard cruel expression on that face until this moment. It was weird to see a softer yet pained emotion from that sparkless bounty hunter.

"Whar's Sun Vulture? I need to talk to him," Barge said gravely to the triple changers.

"He got captured, ma'am," the teal colored one replied, "We have to go after him. He also ordered that the pink femme and her human son be released."

"Son? Ya adopted an organic?" Barge asked incredulously, "That's just sick!"

Arcee growled at the Porcelain Throne's SIC, but didn't say anything. As long as the boat-former obeyed her captain's orders nothing else mattered.

"Barge, what's the plan?" The purple triple changer asked, "We've a real problem! Sun Vulture's gonna be swimmin' with the Sharkticons! Those squids don't care about nothin'! What if-?"

"Shut up, Chamber Lock!" Barge barked roughly, "You, Autobot! Ya got a way to track yer mate?"

"Bumblebee is not my mate," Arcee groused, "And no. I don't. I wish I did."

"Roughhouse?" Barge asked vaguely.

"Yessir, I placed a tracking chip on Captain Sun Vulture, but it only works at a range of 300,000 astrokliks," Roughhouse replied formally.

"Fair enough," Barge nodded; her expression all business now, /Navigator! Fly in the direction of the squid's ship, and then turn on the tracker! I figger we have less than 2 joors to rescue our captain. Also, we bring back the Autobot. The squids refused to pay us our due. Move out!/

/Yes, Barge!/ the Navigator replied tensely.

"Alright stooges, listen up!" Barge commanded the triple changers, "Take the femme back to the brig, and put the human in there with her! I want no distractions while we're searchin' fer Sun Vulture! Move it!"

"Um, Barge?" Roughhouse didn't move as he asked his question, "Did something happen? I mean, why were you out here waiting for us?"

"Oh, that," Barge deflated as she remembered, "I got a comm from Grind Shift on Kloryll. Apparently Vanish's condition has taken a turn for the worse. She'll likely not make it."

The triple changers hung their heads in sorrow at the news, but after a moment of silence they took hold of Arcee and led her back to the brig.

"Um, guys. Who is Vanish?" Arcee asked.

"Sun Vulture's mother," Roughhouse supplied, "She was injured in a raid on Kloryll. She needs a very rare and expensive part to survive, and Sun Vulture had been saving up his share of our jobs to pay for it. This deal with the Quints was supposed to do the trick, but they doublecrossed us. Now we may lose our captain and his mother in the same orn."

"I see...I'm sorry," Arcee said sympathetically.

She still thought the captain of this ship was a pile of slag with a jewelry complex, but she hated to think of anyone losing their parent. She had lost many relatives to the war, and understood that the pain may dull but it never fully went away. She also knew that if Sun Vulture's mother died he would blame himself for not having the credits to pay for the part that could have saved her.

* * *

Sun Vulture and Bumblebee were placed in the same cell awaiting their trial with the Quintessons. Bumblebee glared daggers at Sun Vulture from his place sitting on the floor, and Sun Vulture leisurely paced around the cell looking at every nook and cranny in the room.

Finally, after watching him pace for hours, Bumblebee asked "Could you please stop doing that?"

"Doing what?" Sun Vulture asked lazily as his arms remained draped over his head like an extra pair of wings.

"Pacing. It's starting to put me on edge," Bumblebee clarified; trying to sound polite despite wanting to wring Sun Vulture's neck cables.

"You wouldn't have to see me pace at all if I had given them the femme instead. I did this as a favor to you," Sun Vulture pointed out with a wicked sneer.

"Yeah, well _I_ wouldn't be here if you hadn't captured me in the first place!" Bumblebee shouted; finally tired of the seeker's nonsense.

"Yeah...You must really hate yourself for that one," Sun Vulture said playfully, "I know I'd never forgive myself if an outcast managed to capture me. Seriously though, I thought you were supposed to be some sort of elite Autobot scout. How did you let yourself fall for such an obvious trick? Frankly, it seems like you deserve this."

"You're the one who deserves to be here!" Bumblebee snapped in contempt, "You sell your own kind to be slaughtered! You feed off the misfortune of others! If anyone deserves to be fed to Sharkticons it's you!"

"I never said I didn't," Sun Vulture shrugged, "But you have to admit you were pretty stupid to show up in such a dinky shuttle."

"Why you good for nothing, sneaky-!" Bumblebee started to shout, but was interrupted by a Sharkticon guard coming for the pair.

"The judge will see you now," the Sharkticon said in a hollow emotionless voice; its eyes dull and listless.

"What? No calls to loved ones first?" Sun Vulture asked sarcastically, "No chances to confess? No energon goodie on my pillow? What kind of lousy two-bit joint is this?"

The Sharkticon didn't understand nor care about Sun Vulture's snide remarks. He was ordered to take them to the judge, and orders were all the augmented animals understood. They were little more than mindless slaves at best and savage killer beasts at worst.

Bumblebee and Sun Vulture were led down winding corridors made of twisting blue-grey metal. It was ugly, yet strangely transfixing. Bumblebee noticed that the bounty hunter's optics traced over every inch of the paneling; as if he were trying to record it for future reference. One thing was obvious about the yellow and gold seeker: he was obsessed with pretty things.

They arrived at the courtroom. There was already a victim at the plank standing before the Quintesson judge and trembling in fright. Below the plank was the oozing green pit of unknown fluid that held the tank of ravenous Sharkticons. Bumblebee knew that robot at the stand had every right to be afraid.

"Guilty or innocent?" Asked the face of Wisdom, and then the face of Death turned around to say "Innocent."

"Innocent?" The robot asked hopefully, "Does this mean I get to go home?"

As soon as the question left the robot's glossa, the plank was removed from under the poor innocent mech's pedes, and he fell screaming to his grisly death in the Sharkticon pit below! Bumblebee watched in horror as the mech was ripped limb from limb while still alive and eaten by the metal-hungry monsters!

The Sharkticon guard came up to Bumblebee and Sun Vulture and started shackling them for their trial. Bumblebee's hands and feet were shackled. Sun Vulture's hands, feet, and wings were shackled as well.

"Oh, come on! The _wings_?" Sun Vulture asked caustically, "They're not even for flight! They're for controlling direction! The thrusters are what make me fly, jackanape!"

"What did you just call him?" Bumblebee asked as he laughed despite the situation.

"Jackanape," Sun Vulture replied with a smirk, "It's one of my favorite earth insults."

Their conversation was interrupted by the Sharkticon pushing them violently toward the plank. Bumblebee had to steady himself to keep from falling in prematurely, but he didn't know why he bothered. He was just going to be thrown into the pit of hungry monsters anyway.

The Quintesson's head turned to Wrath, and he asked "Guilty or innocent?"

Before the next head could turn, however, Sun Vulture said "Guilty! I'm guilty as sin! I confess to all charges and throw myself on the mercy of the court!"

"What are you _doing_?" Bumblebee hissed.

"I just wanna see what happens," Sun Vulture whispered conspiratorially, "These guys feed innocents to the Sharkticons, but I bet they have a very special punishment for the guilty."

Bumblebee groaned loudly. He was standing next to a madmech! It wasn't enough they were going to die. This stupid seeker wanted to die as painfully as possible! If Bumblebee wasn't a nicer person he would've pushed Sun Vulture into the pit himself.

"You plead guilty?" The Quintesson asked; surprised.

"Yes, sir!" Sun Vulture chirped, "I only hope I can repay my debt to society before I'm killed. Maybe I could pick up garbage around your little hubble here. That's what we were for anyway, right? I heard all about how your people created ours to be your slaves. I guess we've come full circle then, right?"

The head turned around until Death stared at them with hollow eye sockets.

"Throw them in the Sharkticon pit," Death ordered.

"Oh, _come on_!" Sun Vulture shouted at the judge, "That's the innocent punishment! I'm guilty! You've gotta have something worse than Sharkticons!"

The Quintesson's head then turned to its Judgment face, and Bumblebee wondered why it hadn't been there before.

" _Silence_ , or you will found in contempt of court!" Judgment bellowed.

"Oh that's okay. I have contempt for everything," Sun Vulture replied flippantly, "So, about that Sharkticon pit. Have you considered adding rubies around the edges to really set off the green of the interior? It's a good color contrast."

The face then turned to Wrath again and he asked "Do you really wish for a more excruciating punishment?"

"Well, at least a more unpredictable one," Sun Vulture replied, "Seriously, everyone knows about the Sharkticons. It's not scary if you know it's coming."

The Quintesson turned its face to War, and he seemed to be contemplating the seeker's words. Bumblebee was both nervous and very angry at Sun Vulture, but then Sun Vulture turned and subtly winked at the scout. That was when Bumblebee realized what was going on. Sun Vulture was stalling! He was trying to buy time for the Porcelain Throne to find them.

"I've got an idea!" Bumblebee exclaimed, and the Quintesson turned its attention on him, "Well, since we're guilty, we shouldn't just die. We should have to suffer first. So, my idea is that you make us use up all our energon before our punishment so we can't resist when the time comes."

"Nice one," Sun Vulture replied with a smirk; knowing Bumblebee had caught onto his plan.

"An interesting idea," the sadistic judge replied, "How do you suggest we drain you?"

"Well...You could make us run around the compound in laps until we collapse," Bumblebee suggested.

"Yeah, a slow steady punishment is always best," Sun Vulture nodded approvingly, "The innocent die quickly, but that's not how it should work for guilty mechs. I'm sure an honorable judge such as yourself understand this well."

The Quintesson looked ready to concede to their idea, but as it turned out he wouldn't even have time for that. There was sudden blast at the ceiling, and before long Bumblebee and Sun Vulture heard mechs fighting the Quintesson amid the dust and debris! They were sure their friends had come to save them! It was likely the Porcelain Throne crew, but Bumblebee hoped it was the Autobots.

Those hopes were quickly dashed when they saw the true leader of this ambush. It was Galvatron!


	6. Glad He's Gone

_Author's Notes: Well, I tend to say this a lot with this fic, but_ wow _it has been a long time! Frankly, this is the second story I've written on here that is what I like to classify a "Moby Fic". A Moby Fic is a fanfiction where you get writer's block and don't write in it for a long time, but are simply too stubborn to call it a dead fic. I finished my last Moby Fic, so hopefully I can write a good story with this one too! Thank you guys for your support for this sequel. Despite how elusive the ideas have been for me, I do still think the idea is good enough to continue. Please review, favorite, and follow to see more :)_

* * *

Chapter 6

Glad He's Gone

Galvatron and his band of Decepticons broke through the ceiling of the Quintesson base ready for a fight! Galvatron was tired of being double crossed by these tentacled bozos, and decided that revenge was the best way to make himself feel better. The other Decepticons hated the idea since the Quintessons were so powerful, but they weren't about to go against their criminally insane leader.

Scourge and his sweeps attacked the Sharkticon guards while Galvatron went for the judge. Cyclonus and the other troops didn't have much to do since there weren't as many Quintessons as expected, but then the long horned SIC noticed something. The Autobot Bumblebee was here, along with a mech he didn't recognize.

"What are you doing here, _Autobot_?" Cyclonus asked as he slowly landed in front of them; his deep voice sending shivers down the smaller mech's spine.

"We were captured by the Quintessons," Bumblebee explained vaguely, "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Mighty Galvatron wished to kill a few Quintessons today," Cyclonus replied in a voice that seemed too serious for how preposterous that statement was, "It is good you are already shackled, because you are now my prisoners."

"Hey, why are you taking _me_?" Sun Vulture butted in, "I know why you hate _his_ guts, but I haven't even hunted you down like a turbo fox yet! Oh, by the way, when's a good day to hunt you down like a turbo fox?"

Bumblebee groaned for what he felt was the hundredth time at the stupidity that came out of the bounty hunter's mouth. How was this stupid seeker even still alive? He seemed to relish in the idea of getting hurt and making things worse for himself. Bumblebee really wished he could get away from this guy.

"Cyclonus!" Galvatron hollered at his number one minion, "Feast your eyes on _this_!"

Galvatron then held up the corpse of the Quintesson judge; his greenish innards oozing out from his head/body. Sun Vulture whistled approvingly when he saw the catch, and Cyclonus grabbed Bumblebee and Sun Vulture by their arms and pushed them toward Galvatron.

"Mighty Galvatron, I have captured these Autobots for you," Cyclonus declared.

" _Seriously_? You didn't do anything!" Sun Vulture protested.

" _Autobots_!?" Galvatron screeched; ignoring the petulant Sun Vulture, "Even more enemies for my trophy case!"

Galvatron then pointed his fusion cannon at Bumblebee's helm, and the yellow Autobot feared this was really the end. He wished he could go down fighting or else doing something worth dying for. He didn't want to be chained up and executed like some kind of criminal.

"Galvatron!" Razor Claw, one of his troops, called out, "Our sensors have detected more Quintessons in the vicinity! What should we do?"

"Yes! More Quintessons!" Galvatron shouted with a savage smirk, "Cyclonus, load the prisoners onto the ship! Scourge, clone more sweeps! Everyone else, prepare for battle! We're going to litter the entire planet with the bloated bodies of those miserable Quintessons!"

The Decepticons cheered, but all Bumblebee felt was dread. Tricking the Quintesson judge was one thing. Their thoughts were alien but at least they were consistent. The irrational mind of Galvatron could neither be understood nor manipulated. Not only that, but he was still going to be stuck with Sun Vulture as a cellmate.

* * *

It had been over an hour since they had been taken to the brig, and Bumblebee still hated watching Sun Vulture pace. It seemed like the seeker never stood still, and the light shining off his wing rings and jewels made Bumblebee's optics hurt.

They didn't really talk to each other. Bumblebee was trying to listen to the battle going on just outside the ship. If the Decepticons won they would have to deal with Galvatron and his trigger-happy troops. Then again, if all the Decepticons were killed then no one would be able to feed or release Bumblebee and Sun Vulture and they would starve to death in the brig.

"You've had your helm pressed to the wall for over a groon," Sun Vulture finally spoke up when he got bored enough, "What are you doing?"

"I'm listening to the fight," Bumblebee replied, "I think the Decepticons are winning."

"I'm not surprised," Sun Vulture shrugged, "Say, you think Galvatron would let me join the Decepticons?"

"Let me guess, you're just trying to save your own life?" Bumblebee said in contempt.

"Partly," Sun Vulture replied shamelessly, "That's not the only reason though. From what I've seen and heard Galvatron is really powerful. I heard he killed Starscream. I owe him for that."

"Why?" Bumblebee asked curiously, "What did Starscream do to you?"

Sun Vulture's face changed when he heard that question. He suddenly looked bitter, and he glared at Bumblebee. Sun Vulture leaned against the wall and tapped his foot, as if the temptation to pace was overwhelming him. Finally, he gave up and continued to slowly walk around the cell as he spoke.

"Starscream is my father," Sun Vulture finally replied; his tone more subdued than before, "Galvatron killed my father. I just want to find a way to repay him."

"You mean revenge?" Bumblebee inquired.

"No, I mean actually repay him," Sun Vulture replied; no hint of sarcasm or bile in his tone, "I mean, I don't think flowers is a good enough _thank you_ for someone ridding the universe of the worst mech who ever lived. Starscream raped my mother, and that's the only reason I exist. I remember when I was a sparkling she had trouble recharging at night for fear he would find out about me and come after us. I was upgraded way too young, but Mother felt it was necessary for me to have an adult body and weapons so I could protect myself. She slept much better after finding out Starscream was dead. Galvatron murdered my father, and I'm glad he's gone."

Bumblebee was stunned by this revelation. This was probably the first time since meeting the flamboyant bounty hunter that Bumblebee had heard something serious and vulnerable from him. It didn't make sense that Sun Vulture would even trust him with such information. It did bring up a question in Bumblebee's processor, however.

"Sun Vulture? How old are you?" Bumblebee asked.

"Um...almost a quarter vorn. Not quite," Sun Vulture admitted sheepishly.

"You're not even 21 earth years old yet!?" Bumblebee asked incredulously, "You're still just a youngling! Seriously, in most circles you would still be considered a sparkling!"

"I'm not a sparkling!" Sun Vulture shouted vehemently, "I'm a grown mech with a crew and a ship. Other people's livelihoods depend on me. Just because I'm some genocidal maniac's bastard doesn't give you the right to judge me. If you want to judge me, do it based on my actions, not my age or my coding."

Sun Vulture then did something Bumblebee thought he'd never see him do. He stopped pacing and sat down.

* * *

Arcee and Daniel couldn't believe it even though they were seeing it with their own optics/eyes. The Porcelain Throne was actually docking on Cybertron! They were really going to be allowed to go home!

Barge and her crew tracked Sun Vulture's signal as long as they could, but they had lost the beacon long ago, so they gave up and decided to take Arcee back home since that had been their captain's final orders. Barge was likely more upset about it than the rest of the crew. To them this was just a job with decent pay and a free place to live. To Barge it was so much more than that.

Barge was a citizen of the neutral colony Kloryll, and had known Sun Vulture since he was just a sparkling. Barge had actually been friends with Vanish first, since they were both former Decepticons who left for reasons neither was willing to discuss with the other. When Vanish upgraded Sun Vulture and allowed him to get his own ship, Barge promised to protect the youngling with her life. So far, she felt she was doing a miserable job of it. Still, she was loyal to Sun Vulture and knew he wouldn't want the human and his Cybertronian mother caught in the crossfire, so she took them home instead of flying blindly in the hopes of picking up a signal.

"We're picking up a signal from the Iacon space station," the navigator told Barge.

"Good work," Barge replied as she stared out the window and saw the planet getting closer, "Navigator, activate the cloak."

The navigator did as he was told and pushed several buttons to cloak the ship. The ship went from being a flashy light metal with their serial number on it to being a rusted out heap with the phrase _Free Colonoscopies_ painted on the side.

"What the?" Barge gasped, "That's supposed to say _Free Junk Collection_!"

"'Tis the same thing, Commander," Chamber Lock replied impishly.

"Argh! I shoulda known it was you, ya lousy turbo rat!" Barge groused.

Daniel laughed despite the situation. Now that he knew they weren't going to hurt him or Arcee he could see their antics as comical. Arcee was glad Daniel was doing alright. She wondered if he understood the severity of what had happened to Bumblebee, but she doubted it. He wouldn't be this happy if he truly knew. She only hoped Bumblebee and that gaudy hang glider Sun Vulture made it out alive.

The ship docked, and a short 'Bot with a data pad and a stylus approached the ship to inspect it. Between the Decepticon rebels, the Quintessons, and other various enemies the Autobots couldn't be too careful.

"Name of the ship?" The mech with the data pad asked in a bored monotone.

"The Pipe Dream," Barge replied, and then whispered to Arcee and Daniel "That's our alias fer times like this."

"I'm starting to see a theme here…" Arcee muttered dryly.

The inspector looked over every inch of what he thought was a rusted out pile of scrap with a crude joke spray painted on the side. The crew just hoped their hologram projector held out. After all, that thing wasn't cheap.

"Excuse me, Mr. Navigator?" Daniel whispered to the navigator, "I'm sorry I didn't ask before, but what's your name?"

"Navigator," The navigator replied without turning from his console to look at the boy.

"Wait, you mean when they call you Navigator, it doesn't refer to your job?" Daniel asked.

"Of course it refers to my job," Navigator replied haughtily, "I'm the navigator."

"Well yeah, but you said it was your name," Daniel pointed out.

"It is my name," Navigator replied, "That's simply a coincidence, however."

Arcee gently led Daniel away, but the boy continued to look at the surly mech with confusion. How could his name and his title be the same? Did that mean he could one day grow up to be the chief Daniel of something? Or maybe the royal Witwicky? Nah, that would be too strange.

They waited for almost a groon for the mech with the data pad to finish his inspection. Arcee and Daniel were anxious to get home, and Barge was anxious to leave Cybertron so she could continue her search for Sun Vulture. Honestly, if she had to answer one more stupid question about hull integrity she'd show this guy how tough the hull was by shoving his face through it!

The mech told them to wait a moment for him to scan the exterior of the ship for any foreign bacteria particles that could be potentially hazardous, and Barge groaned in frustration at having to wait even longer!

"Excuse me, Miss Arcee?" Roughhouse approached her, his demeanor stiff and formal as always, "You won't give our names to the authorities, will you? Please try to understand that we are not monsters. We are merely trying to survive in a universe that doesn't need us anymore. Most of us are former Decepticons that did not wish to follow Galvatron. There's a crew member here named Sunspot that used to be an Autobot, but was abandoned by his teammates and turned neutral. We will never go after you or the boy again, but we need your word that you won't turn us in."

"What choice do I have?" Arcee replied sullenly, "You hunt Autobots. If you only went after criminals that would be one thing, but you went after innocent beings for the Quintessons' sick amusement. How can you expect me to ignore that? I don't hate you guys, not anymore, but I can't let this go."

Roughhouse considered attacking Arcee to silence her, but the sight of her child made him pause. He had never really cared about sparklings as a soldier, but after the war he saw how many were displaced and starving. How could he orphan a kid that did nothing to them? Roughhouse sighed, and decided to let it go. So their names would be out there. So what? They could outrun any Autobot ship that came after them.

"Commander!" A motorcycle-former shouted, "There's a bunch of Autobots coming our way, and they look angry!"

"We're not the target," Barge replied with certainty, "They think we're a junk ship."

"Ma'am, there are Dinobots!" The motorcycle-former exclaimed, and Barge's optics went wide. The Dinobots had been attacked by them. They _knew_ them!

The crew tried to flee the ship, but their way was blocked by Ultra Magnus and Springer. Arcee and Daniel both looked relieved and happy to see them, but the crew had looks ranging from confusion to anger to defeat.

"Which one of you is the captain of the Porcelain Throne?" Ultra Magnus asked in a procedural tone.

"I'm acting Captain," Barge replied begrudgingly, "Barge is my designation."

"Barge, you and your crew are under arrest for kidnapping, terrorism, and impersonating a ship in distress. Cuff them, Springer."

Springer got to work on the crew while Ultra Magnus went over to see how Arcee and Daniel were faring.

"Did they hurt you?" Ultra Magnus asked Arcee.

"Not really," Arcee replied, "But Ultra Magnus, they sold Bumblebee to the Quintesson forces! We have to save him!"

Ultra Magnus nodded in understanding. Rodimus Prime would need to hear about this immediately. He just hoped they weren't too late to save their friend.


	7. Someone Who Cares

_Author's Notes: Well, this chapter is short, but I think it turned out pretty well. This is more of a segue into the rest of the story, but don't worry, stuff happens here too. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to your reviews :)_

* * *

Chapter 7

Someone Who Cares

Galvatron returned victorious against the Quintessons, which was a little surprising to Cyclonus despite his belief in Galvatron's power. He was sure that there were too many foes out there for the Decepticons to conquer, but Galvatron had prevailed. It only made Cyclonus' faith in his leader stronger than before (if that were possible).

There were a few injured Decepticons, but no one was permanently damaged. Hook could care for those mechs. Cyclonus didn't trust anyone else, however, to look after his master. Galvatron was the hope of all Decepticons, and Cyclonus only trusted himself to see to his master's needs.

Cyclonus was ready with a towel to help Galvatron wipe the energon and green fluid from his frame. He only wished he could've been out there himself to see the fight instead of inside the ship babysitting the prisoners. It wasn't like Cyclonus actually had to do anything. The prisoners were locked up and couldn't escape.

"Cyclonus, I feel so alive!" Galvatron declared as he cleaned himself of the grisly stains on his body, "Of course, that was just a warm-up for what I will do to the Autobots. I already have the strategy figured out. I'm going to- **AHHHH**!"

Galvatron suddenly grabbed his helm, and Cyclonus could see the telltale flashing of Galvatron's horns that indicated another processor attack.

" _Cyclonus_! Take me to my throne room! _That's an order_!" Galvatron screamed louder than usual due to the pain.

Cyclonus obliged his lord and led him by the arm to his throne. Cyclonus didn't know exactly why Galvatron had these attacks. They could be leftover from when Unicron would torture him. They could also be from when Galvatron was trapped in the lava pool for months and his processor degraded. Cyclonus didn't know why or how it happened. He only knew that his master was suffering from a chronic condition and needed his help.

Cyclonus remembered the days of Unicron only too well. Unicron had built Cyclonus, Scourge, the sweeps, and Galvatron to be his heralds to tell other worlds of their impending doom. Cyclonus was resigned to his fate as nothing more than an object to be played with by the eater of worlds, but Galvatron was not. Galvatron, despite having no chance of success, would challenge the bringer of chaos for the sake of his own dignity as a Cybertronian. Galvatron was a warrior that could not be bought or controlled by normal mechs, and Cyclonus knew that this was a personage he would follow to the ends of the universe.

As they walked to the throne room, other Decepticons they passed saw the flashing horns and left Galvatron's sight as quickly as possible. Everyone had figured out by now that those flashing lights meant Galvatron was likely in a murderous mood. Most of the time the only thing standing between Galvatron's wrath and the rest of his crew was Cyclonus being able to calm the insane warlord down. Despite that, most Decepticons still hated Cyclonus for his sycophantic attitude toward a mech they believed didn't deserve such admiration or respect.

From the corner of the throne room Scourge saw Cyclonus leading Galvatron to his throne and handing him a cube of energon. Scourge shook his helm sadly as he watched the display. Cyclonus was second in command. Cyclonus was the _true_ power of the Decepticons and their rightful leader. Sadly though, Cyclonus was just too humble to see the opportunity he had to take command. Well, too humble or too stupid.

Scourge couldn't watch this anymore. He couldn't watch his closest friend squander his loyalty and resources anymore, so he quietly left the room before Galvatron noticed him. It was time for the nightly feeding anyway. He would worry about Cyclonus later.

* * *

Scourge entered his quarters which to most mechs would seem quite large, except Scourge shared this room with about 50 sweeps. They all greeted him warmly when he entered the room, even the one whose pede he accidentally stepped on. The room was very crowded with all of them living there, but Scourge knew the other Decepticons would abuse his little horde of minions if he left them alone, so he was happy to keep them close to him as often as possible.

"Hey, boss…" One of the sweeps bleated pitifully, "I lost my leg in the fight. Can you make me another one?"

"Did you remember to stop the bleeding first?" Scourge asked in a patient tone of voice.

"No…" The sweep admitted; shamefaced.

Scourge sighed and went over to where his injured pawn was laying on the floor. He patched up the energon lines that the self-repair systems didn't fix and set the sweep on its recharge slab. Then Scourge got to work filling energon cubes for his many dependents. He wanted to refuel, but he knew he wouldn't feel right about eating until he built the leg for his wounded sweep, so he took out some protoform sheet metal and wires so that he could begin construction.

"Master?" One of his sweeps addressed Scourge as he poked his wing to get his attention, "I got a perfect score at the target range! My skill is getting much better! Do you wanna see the poster I shot up? I saved it for you!"

Scourge chuckled and paused in his work to look at the target his sweep had fired upon. It was a picture of Rodimus Prime with a slag eating grin on his face, which was hard to make out due to all the scorch marks.

"Do you like it, Master?" The sweep asked excitedly.

"Of course I do," Scourge replied indulgently, "I'll keep this in my subspace for now, and maybe later we can find a spot on the wall for it."

The sweep squealed happily as he ran away to join its brethren. Scourge sighed tiredly and went back to making the leg. If Galvatron called him within the next few groons he might never get the chance to refuel. Maybe someday he'd hire some professional help for his sweeps. Maybe a femme to have as a bondmate, or maybe a prisoner whose will to resist had been broken by him. Either one sounded better than being forced to care for dozens of clones by himself.

* * *

Bumblebee and Sun Vulture waited until the activity on the ship died down before they began their plans for escape. The hard part for Bumblebee had been convincing Sun Vulture to even bother to try to escape at all. Apparently Sun Vulture wanted to meet Galvatron and didn't feel like leaving.

"Come on, Sun Vulture! The Decepticons think you're an Autobot! They'll just try to kill you!" Bumblebee had yelled in an effort to get the seeker to see reason.

"I don't wanna leave!" Sun Vulture replied petulantly, "And you can't make me!"

"You are such a brat!" Bumblebee shouted furiously.

"Oh, playing the ageism card again, huh?" Sun Vulture sneered as he crossed his arms over his cockpit, "You still think I'm stupid because I'm young!"

"I never said that," Bumblebee replied in a lower tone of voice to avoid the guards hearing them and coming in, "Your official age has very little to do with your mental capabilities. I remember the Dinobots and Aerialbots were built not that long ago, and they've made great progress. Well, the Aerialbots more so than the Dinobots, but my point still stands."

"And your point is?" Sun Vulture asked critically.

"That I don't think you're dumb because you're young," Bumblebee replied, "I think you're dumb because you're arrogant. You think Galvatron wants to be friends? You think his troops are going to welcome you with open arms? They kill anyone they believe isn't with them, and you can't convince them you're on their side without proving it. Trust me, whatever they ask of you, it's not worth it."

Bumblebee was sure his speech was falling on muted audio receptors. Sun Vulture didn't react to what Bumblebee said. In fact, Sun Vulture seemed to stop doing anything except standing in the middle of the cell, and that worried Bumblebee since the yellow and gold seeker was always moving.

"Hey, are you alright?" Bumblebee asked hesitantly.

Sun Vulture didn't answer with words. Instead he started picking at a piece of long thin gold jewelry lining his jaw. He picked at it for several breems, and Bumblebee thought Sun Vulture was doing that just to ignore him, but then when the welded piece of gold came loose Sun Vulture yelled "Aha!" and started running the line of gold wire along the crack of the cell door.

"What are you doing?" Bumblebee asked.

"I'm trying to short circuit the locks so we can get out of here," Sun Vulture replied as he continued to work.

"You want to escape now? What changed your mind?" Bumblebee asked curiously.

"My mother," Sun Vulture replied matter-of-factly.

"Your _what_?" Bumblebee asked incredulously, as the statement seemed to come out of nowhere.

"You said that the price to be a Decepticon was too high," Sun Vulture replied casually as he fed the wire into the door, "Well, my mother agreed. She was a Decepticon until she figured out she would never know peace so long as she was with them. Recently she was attacked by a Decepticon. I was away on a mission hunting down some Junkion parole violator when I got the long range message from our colony's mayor. She's probably dead now. All because the Decepticons wanted our energon. I guess I find it hard to think of Galvatron and the Decepticons as one and the same. I always think of Megatron as their leader. It just made more sense somehow."

"A lot of things made more sense before Unicron showed up," Bumblebee replied sympathetically, "A lot of the survivors don't know what to do with themselves. Jazz used to be so friendly and talkative, but now he's just so...quiet. He lost a lot of friends during that final push against the Decepticons. Prowl, our SIC, was Jazz's best friend since primary school. They even graduated from the police academy together. I don't think Jazz will ever be the same. Another one was Bluestreak. He actually quit the Autobots after Unicron was defeated. He went to live on some planet called Gorr. I think he's an energon farmer now. The planet snows energon, and he collects it and sells it to other colonies. Tracks still lives on Cybertron, but he rarely leaves his house. Hound-"

"Shut up!" Sun Vulture suddenly snapped, "The door's unlocked now! We can leave!"

" _Shh_! Not so loud..." Bumblebee whispered, "We want to get as far as we can without running into Decepticons."

"Oh, right," Sun Vulture nodded and grinned impishly.

Sun Vulture pried the door opened, and then looked down either end of the hallway. When the coast was clear, he scuttled out into the hall and waited for Bumblebee to follow him. Bumblebee listened for footsteps, and when he didn't hear anything he followed Sun Vulture.

They stuck close to each other as they stalked down the halls and corridors in search of an exit. Best case scenario, they would find a life pod they could use to abandon ship. Sun Vulture fiddled with his arm jewels every few minutes and cursed the fact that the Quintessons had removed his arm mounted turrets. Bumblebee would try to keep the seeker's attention as they maneuvered; growing annoyed at how easily distracted the gold-plated turkey was.

Sun Vulture was the first to turn the next corner, where he bumped into a large figure. Bumblebee bumped into Sun Vulture before either of them realized what had happened.

They looked up in unison, and were face to face with Cyclonus!


	8. Doublecrossed

_Author's Notes: Well, after a long wait here is the next chapter of Cannot Stand! While there is a sad part in this chapter, most of it is action and comedy. Honestly I didn't expect it to be funny, but the plot bunny wants what it wants. I think the chapter has a nice balance, and I hope you guys like it too. Please review, favorite, and follow to keep up to date with this story :)_

* * *

Chapter 8

Doublecrossed

Bumblebee and Sun Vulture were brought before Galvatron's throne when Cyclonus had captured them. Bumblebee was nervous, but wouldn't allow his enemies to see him afraid. He looked at Galvatron with defiance and hatred. Sun Vulture just picked gunk out of his head vents and pretended he wasn't interested in what was going on.

"So, you thought you could escape eh, Autobots?" Galvatron asked with a savage smirk, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow you to the matrix right now!"

"Because energon spills are hard to clean up," Sun Vulture answered cheekily.

"Seriously, do you _ever_ shut up?" Bumblebee asked in exasperation.

"Hey, escaping was _your_ idea!" Sun Vulture snapped defensively, "I wanted to join Galvatron but _no_! Apparently getting our afts handed to us was a much better plan!"

"You wish to serve Galvatron?" Cyclonus asked with interest.

"Well, I mean he did kill Starscream," Sun Vulture shrugged, "I figure I owe him for that."

"Starscream?" Galvatron asked as he tried to remember who that was, "I don't remember killing anyone named Starscream, but it does sound like something I would do. You say this mech was your enemy?"

"He was my sire," Sun Vulture replied, "He also deserved worse than you gave him. Can we join the Decepticons? Surely you understand that a leader is only as great as the size of his territory."

"What? I'll never-!" Bumblebee started to say, but Sun Vulture squeezed his arm to get him to stop talking.

/Don't worry, we're not really joining the 'Cons,/ Sun Vulture said over the comm, /We just need to play along until we can call for backup./

/I suppose that makes sense,/ Bumblebee admitted, /But if you betray me you're dead./

/Deal,/ Sun Vulture replied to Bumblebee, and then to Galvatron said, "If you would allow it, we would be honored to join the Decepticons."

Scourge was watching this exchange with keen interest. Most of the soldiers were trying to find a way to depose Galvatron. It was clear these Autobots were lying and just trying to save their own plating. Scourge smiled to himself. These Autobots could very well be useful in helping them get rid of Galvatron and choosing a new leader. Maybe even Scourge himself.

"Mighty Galvatron, I believe we should consider their request," Scourge said in an obsequious tone of voice, "That is of course, if you think it is wise."

Cyclonus knew Scourge didn't usually interfere with such business, so he knew the blue jet-former was up to something. He was also aware that Bumblebee had been one of Optimus Prime's most loyal followers and wasn't the type to abandon his team to save himself. Something was very wrong here...

Galvatron, meanwhile, was being very quiet and stroking his chin in thought. It was an odd sight to say the least. Usually Galvatron was fierce and quick to judgment. Cyclonus smiled, seeing that Galvatron was having a good day mentally. Just as Galvatron was about to deliver his verdict, Soundwave strode into the room and handed Cyclonus a data pad.

"What is the meaning of this?" Cyclonus barked, "Can't you see Mighty Galvatron is holding court?"

"Ravage reports: Autobots are close to our current location," Soundwave reported in his eerie monotone voice, "Advise course of action."

"We attack!" Galvatron shouted immediately, "You two want to prove you're on our side? Help us kill those Autobots!"

With those words Galvatron got off his throne and motioned for everyone to begin the charge. Cyclonus took a staff out of subspace to use as a weapon, and Bumblebee gasped when he saw what it was!

"What are you staring at, Autobot?" Cyclonus growled threateningly.

"Hey, is that real Cybertronian gulf pearl?" Sun Vulture asked as he pointed to the snakehead staff Cyclonus was wielding.

"That was my mother's staff!" Bumblebee declared as he stormed over to stand face-to-face with Cyclonus, "Where did you get that? That staff belonged to my deceased mother! It was the only one ever made so I know it's hers! Where did you get it!?"

"I...I do not know," Cyclonus reluctantly admitted, "I found it in my subspace, but I never learned how it got there."

"Say Cyclonus, how much would you take for that staff?" Sun Vulture asked.

"Why do you want to buy my mother's staff?" Bumblebee asked accusingly.

"To give it to you, scrap pile," Sun Vulture replied with a slag-eating grin, "Look, I know we're not on the best terms, but even I respect family heirlooms. I look at that staff and I see something worth a lot of credits, but I can tell that when you look at it you see something more. You see memories of your mother in that thing, and if she's gone that makes it worth even more. So you-"

"We can discuss this later," Cyclonus interrupted, "Right now there is a battle waging outside. You will assist me or die."

/Don't worry, we'll just aim badly,/ Sun Vulture comforted Bumblebee, /That's what I do when I feel sorry for a parole violator I was paid in advance to capture./

Bumblebee sighed wearily, but nodded to Cyclonus. Bumblebee and Sun Vulture followed Cyclonus out into the heat of battle, and Bumblebee hoped he could get to his friends and escape before something really bad happened.

* * *

Grind Shift wiped off more condensation from Vanish's face plate. She had yet to online since the attack, and without the parts she needed it looked as if she wasn't going to make it. Grind Shift stayed by her berthside to make sure she was comfortable, but there wasn't anything else he could do. Sun Vulture and his crew were the only ones able to save Vanish's life.

Vanish was a femme that nobody knew very well but that everybody in the colony liked. She was helpful, polite, and at the same time very guarded. She was a private person and didn't meddle in others' affairs. If Grind Shift were honest with himself, she was the exact opposite of her son.

A mech named Medallion walked into the room with a long solemn look on his face plate. The green motorcycle-former sat down next to Grind Shift, and the brown oxidized old mech look at him with sad optics.

"Any changes?" Medallion asked.

"No," Grind Shift replied, "Have you heard anything from Sun Vulture?"

"No, but I did hear from Barge," Medallion informed him, "That's what I came in to tell you. She and several members of the Porcelain Throne's crew have been arrested by the Autobots. Sun Vulture, well...He was captured by the Quintessons. They believe he is already dead."

" _No_..." Grind Shift whispered shakily, "Oh, poor Vanish. Perhaps it would be kinder to kill you. I only hope you are not suffering as you die. At least you will not know that your son died trying to save you. Oh Vanish, I pray that you do not wake up."

Grind Shift didn't cry. He had lived too long and seen too many deaths to consider crying useful. It still tore at his spark nonetheless that a femme as gentle as Vanish would lose her youngling to death even as she was dying herself.

Medallion helped the old mech stand up and then walked him away so they could find fresh cleaning cloths for the patient. As they walked away they didn't even notice the thin stream of cleaning fluid running down Vanish's optics.

* * *

Rodimus Prime was one confused Autobot. He and his crew had gone to the Quintesson judgment chambers to search for Bumblebee only to find the place had been wrecked. When they found a Quintesson barely alive they learned the Decepticons had destroyed the place and took two Autobots hostage. They didn't know which Autobot was with Bumblebee, but they were at least grateful their friend didn't get fried in the acid. Perceptor learned the location of the Decepticons and Rodimus went out with a team to rescue Bumblebee. If only that had been the confusing part.

Now Rodimus found himself dodging sweeps while his team was being fired upon by the entire Decepticon horde; including Bumblebee and some sparkly seeker twit. Why was Bumblebee attacking them? It didn't make any sense. Springer wanted to teach the little traitor a lesson, but Arcee pointed out that none of Bumblebee's shots were hitting them and that he had _accidentally_ shot one of the sweeps, so he was likely just pretending so he could escape the Decepticons.

Bumblebee, meanwhile, was having a terrible time just trying to keep his shots from hitting one of his friends. Part of him now wished he could shoot Sun Vulture in the pede, because Sun Vulture insisted on standing back-to-back with the yellow minibot to protect him. That wouldn't have been so bad, except Sun Vulture's wings (jangly rings and all) were at the same height as Bumblebee's helm. He kept getting his horns stuck in the yellow seeker's ringlets and poked by the sharp ends of the wings! In short, he really wished he had a different combat partner.

Galvatron was cackling as he fired on the Autobots; relishing the battle despite having only fought off the Quintessons less than a day ago. Cyclonus was sticking close to his master until he noticed that their new Autobot turncoat was firing on the sweeps surrounding Rodimus Prime. So, he wasn't a traitor after all, huh? Well, Cyclonus would deal with that deceiver _personally_ , and probably the seeker as well since they seemed to be working together.

Cyclonus flew over to where Bumblebee and Sun Vulture were fighting back to back and aimed a laser rifle directly at Bumblebee's helm (which incidentally was where Sun Vulture's aft was).

"Conniving Autobot!" Cyclonus roared, "Prepare to meet oblivion!"

"Gee, is oblivion as charming as you?" Sun Vulture asked sarcastically, "Hey Bumblebee, get your horn out of my ring! I could help you if I could turn around!"

Rodimus saw what was happening and realized Bumblebee had not betrayed them. He had hoped it was just a misunderstanding. He also noticed the yellow seeker and came to the conclusion that this was the other Autobot mentioned by the Quintesson.

"Everyone, protect Bumblebee and his friend!" Rodimus ordered.

"He is not my friend!" Bumblebee yelled in return, " _Ow_ , stupid jewelry wearing seeker! _Ow_! What are these rings even _for_!?"

Cyclonus fired on them, but Sun Vulture jerked Bumblebee out of the way by throwing himself forward. The fall not only saved their lives, but the impact allowed the two yellow mechs to break free of each other! The two of them ran, and Cyclonus gave chase. The other Autobots wanted to go after them, but Scourge and his sweeps stopped them. Soon even more Decepticons mobbed them, and there was no way the other Autobots could do anything other than defend themselves.

Cyclonus transformed into jet-mode and went after the two unfortunate mechs. He was gaining fast, and they were coming up to a cliff!

"Sun Vulture, transform and fly us out of here!" Bumblebee ordered.

"I can't go faster than him!" Sun Vulture replied frantically, "I'm not built for it! Besides, my jet mode looks ridiculous!"

" _Just do it!_ " Bumblebee screamed.

"Fine, but I blame you for whatever happens next!" Sun Vulture snapped before transforming into a gold and yellow tetra jet with sparkly jewels all set in a design that looked like the Cybertronian glyph for 'Hot Stuff' and rings lining his wings that made tinkling noises as he flew.

Bumblebee jumped on top of the jet and Sun Vulture flew away, but Cyclonus was gaining fast! Cyclonus fired at the duo, but Sun Vulture managed to evade every shot and somehow not crash into anything. They were approaching a mountain range with a labyrinth of trenches and maze-like cliffs. This was their chance to lose Cyclonus!

"Try flying low!" Bumblebee suggested.

"Why?" Sun Vulture asked.

"Because Cyclonus will fly high, and this could be our chance to lose him!" Bumblebee explained.

"If we wanted to be on the ground I'd be the one riding you, ground pounder!" Sun Vulture argued, "I'm going higher!"

"What? _No_! You can't maintain your speed that high up! We're too heavy!" Bumblebee exclaimed worriedly.

Sun Vulture, against Bumblebee's advice, flew straight up in an effort to lose Cyclonus. As he reached above the mountains Sun Vulture suddenly felt his energon supply run low, and he heard himself sputter as he lost altitude. Soon they were falling to the planet below! Cyclonus was chasing after them, but would quickly regret that as the other jet fell on top of him and sent him falling straight down with them!

Bumblebee rolled away and continued to spin as he hit the ground below! He rolled several mechano-meters away and stopped flat on his back. He was aching, but there didn't seem to be any real damage other than a few loose gears. He looked to see how the other two held up. They had both transformed before landing and had crashed together. Cyclonus's wings were bent and his horns were crushed. Sun Vulture had lost a leg in the crash and was losing energon rather quickly.

"Sun Vulture! Can you hear me?" Bumblebee asked panickedly.

" _Ow_ , yes!" Sun Vulture groused, "Not so loud! I think I audio sensor was damaged. I'm hearing everything louder than before. Are you okay, Autobot?"

"Fine, actually," Bumblebee replied; surprised himself that he was okay.

"Y- _You_ …" Cyclonus rasped as he struggled to stand, "You did this! You betrayed mighty Galvatron and doomed us to die in this wasteland! My laser core is in ill repair and without a graft or replacement I will die."

"Oh yeah?" Sun Vulture asked casually, "What type of sheet metal was used in its construction?"

"Byzalite," Cyclonus replied proudly, "Forged by Unicron himself."

"That's pretty rare," Sun Vulture replied with a sly smile, "Lucky for you I happen to have some Byzalite just lying around. It won't cost you much, either. Just let my friend and I live, and I'll give you the Byzalite sheet metal free and clear."

"Wait a minute, where did _you_ get Byzalite?" Bumblebee asked skeptically, "That stuff is worth a fortune! It can only be found at the edge of the galaxy!"

"I never reveal my sources," Sun Vulture replied haughtily, "So Jeeves, we got a deal?" He asked Cyclonus with a Cheshire grin.

"Fine, give it to me," Cyclonus demanded despite his less than favorable condition.

"I don't have it on me," Sun Vulture informed him, "It's at my home on Kloryll. We'll have to fly there to get the sheet metal, but I assure you it will be worth it. After all, your only other option is to let your spark slowly leak out of your chassis."

Cyclonus growled softly, but then nodded his consent to go with them to Kloryll.

"Listen Bumblebee, I know this isn't where you wanted to go, but once we're at Kloryll I can arrange for you to hitch a ride with one of the locals," Sun Vulture offered, "They really are friendly people. I'm the troublemaker of the place, but most of them are just neutrals trying to forget the war ever happened. You'll be taken care of, promise."

"Fine, wind chime. As soon as we reattach your leg," Bumblebee replied teasingly.

Sun Vulture chuckled at Bumblebee's new attitude. He knew then that he was starting to rub off on the minibot. In truth, the little scout was starting to grow on him too. Bumblebee might not have been much fun, but he had courage, and that wasn't something one could simply buy on the black market.

Bumblebee agreed to fly with Sun Vulture and Cyclonus to the colony. He knew they would probably be attacked by Cyclonus as soon as he was healed, so Bumblebee planned to be far away before that happened. Little did he know that something from his past was awaiting him at the innocuous neutral territory.


	9. Welcome Home, Son

_Author's Notes: I was honestly afraid the plot bunny for this fic had died, but today I was struck with inspiration for this fic once again. Hooray! I hope it sticks around so I can keep writing this story. The timetable for this thing is the exact opposite of its predecessor "A Spark Divided". That story only took about a month to complete, but this one had been around since December of last year. This is the longest I've ever spent on a single fic without finishing it, and I'm nowhere near done with it yet! Well, I suppose the good news is that "Cannot Stand" is no longer on hiatus. Please follow, favorite, and review :)_

* * *

Chapter 9

Welcome Home, Son

The ride to Kloryll was one that Bumblebee never wished to repeat again. Sun Vulture bribed Astrotrain to allow them to ride him off the planet and to a nearby spaceport, and the whole way there Sun Vulture and Cyclonus bickered. Bumblebee got sick of listening to them and finally shouted for both of them to shut up, but neither one of them did.

"Hey, don't break up the fight! I'm enjoying this," Astrotrain reprimanded; his echoing voice filling the space around them.

"If my spark weren't depleting I would have you charged with treason, Astrotrain," Cyclonus rasped; barely maintaining consciousness.

" _Oh_ , I'm shaking in my transistors," Astrotrain mocked his SIC, "I don't even want this job anymore, but it's either you and Goofytron or the Autobots. I consider you the greater of two evils, which works just fine for me."

Bumblebee tuned them out after a few more breems of their arguing. Sun Vulture actually seemed to be goading Cyclonus every time it looked like there would finally be peace and quiet. At first Bumblebee was irritated by that behavior, but then he began to study the situation more closely. Sun Vulture always picked on Cyclonus when he was close to passing out, and then they would get into a heated argument. Bumblebee finally figured out that Sun Vulture was trying to make Cyclonus stay conscious so that the purple seeker would live long enough to make it to a medic on Kloryll.

It took seven joors before Astrotrain landed at a spaceport, five groons to find a ship to rent, and another four joors to fly to Kloryll. By the time they made it to their destination Cyclonus was unconscious and barely clinging to life, Bumblebee was exhausted and nearly traumatized, and Sun Vulture had sang the Beer on The Wall song 130 times. Where he learned it Bumblebee didn't know; he only wished the yellow seeker was more creative in his musical selections.

They finally got off the ship and Bumblebee's olfactory sensors were immediately greeted with the scent of new steel and energy producing crystals of many varieties. The colony was small but bustling, the sky was green with a few small wisps of pink clouds, and the air was still. There didn't seem to be any life on the planet beyond the Cybertronian colonists and whatever exotic animals they had imported. In short, it looked like Bumblebee's vision of paradise.

"Okay Bumblebee, you can purchase supplies for your trip home from Dryshard's Market & Body Shop," Sun Vulture advised as he carried the large form of Cyclonus on his back, "When you're done spreading your tourist creds around you can take the ship and return to your people."

"What about Cyclonus? How is he supposed to get off your planet?" Bumblebee asked.

"That's his problem," Sun Vulture shrugged as best he could while carrying a large unconscious Decepticon, "Don't worry about it, little guy. Your part's over. You're free to go. I'll take care of tall dark and ugly. All you need to worry about is rush hour traffic."

"It's really that simple?" Bumblebee asked skeptically.

"Look, I know we got off to a rough start with me selling you to the sons of Unicron's aft and all," Sun Vulture said unrepentantly, "But that was just a contract. I never break a contract, but that doesn't mean I don't like you. You're pretty cool...for an Autobot. See ya."

With those words Sun Vulture started walking toward a small copper colored building with Cyclonus in tow. Bumblebee assumed that was the medbay. He sighed and shook his helm in bemusement. He still didn't know what to make of Sun Vulture or this entire situation. He did know however that he needed to refuel, so he walked into town to see what he could see.

* * *

Sun Vulture walked into Medallion's shed with the Decepticon patient. What Sun Vulture neglected to tell Cyclonus and Bumblebee was that Kloryll didn't actually have the resources for a proper medbay, so when mechs got sick or injured they were taken to Medallion's shed where the wiry motorcycle-former would tend to them with whatever supplies and natural remedies he had. That was alright with Sun Vulture though, because he knew Medallion could work the Byzalite into a working laser core replacement.

Sun Vulture left Cyclonus where he was and went over to another cot in the shed where another patient was; his mother. He rubbed her arm just in case she could still feel him. Her color looked so muted, and he still didn't have the part she needed in order to save her life. He probably never would now.

He hated to do this when she was in such a bad way, but Sun Vulture needed his supply of Byzalite, and Vanish was the one who guarded the precious metal. He used a decoder wand to hack into her subspace and then rifled around until he found the sheet of Byzalite metal. He felt so guilty for doing that. If she were human it would be like going through her purse.

Just as Sun Vulture subspaced the Byzalite he heard light pede steps in the doorway. It was Medallion, and Sun Vulture was relieved to see the fellow villager once again. Medallion took one look at Sun Vulture, however, and froze for a moment before rushing up to the yellow and gold seeker.

"Sun Vulture! You're alive!" Medallion cried out in astonishment, "No one knew where you were! I didn't know you'd come here. I'm sorry to say there has been no signs of improvement in your carrier."

"I know," Sun Vulture replied solemnly, "Listen Doc, I brought you another patient. I need you to build him a laser core with my Byzalite."

"Byzalite? What kind of a mech-?" Medallion stopped walking and talking however when he got a glimpse of the new patient, "Oh no! Not him! I _refuse_ to treat that monster!"

"You can't do that, Medallion! I made a bargain with him!" Sun Vulture shouted vehemently, "Besides, doesn't refusing treatment go against some sort of moral code you have or something?"

"Sun Vulture, you do not realize what you have done," Medallion said gravely as he stepped closer to the bejeweled seeker, "This mech...this terrorist! This is the one that attacked Vanish. He is the reason your mother is dying. You see now why we must rid ourselves of him at once!"

Sun Vulture's features darkened then, and he looked back at Cyclonus' form with hatred and disgust. When he looked back at Medallion, however, his face plate was impassive in a way that most would never see on the young bounty hunter.

"You have to fix him. We bargained," Sun Vulture practically growled; conflicted by the situation, "I never go back on a contract, and I will not go back on one now. Do this for me, and I will find a way to repay you."

"I don't care about payment," Medallion sighed morosely, "I just don't want this colony to suffer anymore. Do you know what Grind Shift will say when he discovers we are aiding the mech that assaulted Vanish? He will be so disappointed."

"That doesn't matter right now. He's running out of time, and I have a contract to uphold," Sun Vulture said resolutely as he handed Medallion the sheet of Byzalite, "Hurry."

Medallion took the sheet of rare metal and started to walk to his workshop, but before he left the shed he turned around to look at Sun Vulture and asked, "Youngling, how much is he paying you for this? I hope whatever it is that it is worth what we are doing now."

"I'd say I got a good deal," Sun Vulture smirked; his cocky facade returning, "Two lives in exchange for one."

His smile fell however as he turned one more time to look at his stasis-locked mother. All of a sudden it seemed more like two lives for two. He didn't know what he was going to do to save her, but he did know he would never make a deal with Cyclonus ever again. Not even for that staff Bumblebee wanted. He'd steal it before he ever gave that murderer anything ever again.

* * *

Bumblebee had stopped at a small energon cafe called Mallet's Munchies before he decided to take off. Before leaving, however, he remembered that Cyclonus still had his late mother's cobra head staff and he wanted to get it from him. Bumblebee decided to go to the copper building on his way to see if he could get it from Cyclonus' subspace.

When Bumblebee got to the building he realized it wasn't actually a medbay, but more of a storage building for old tools and dusty looking cots. He saw Cyclonus in one berth, and off in the corner he saw Sun Vulture sitting over a prone form that he couldn't quite make out over Sun Vulture's wingspan.

"Hey Sun Vulture," Bumblebee called out, "Do you think you can help me get Cyclonus' subspace open? I don't know if you know how to do that, but since you're a pirate and all..."

"I'm not a pirate," Sun Vulture replied in a surpringly subdued voice, "I'm a bounty hunter, but sure; I can help you. I'm surprised you even remembered that slagging thing to be honest. I thought you'd be halfway to Cybertron by now."

"I will be soon enough," Bumblebee replied, "But first I want what rightfully belongs to be. I still can't help but wonder how Cyclonus got a hold of it. It was supposed to go to me after my mother died, but it was lost along with her body, or so I thought."

"Hey Bumblebee? Can we not talk about this?" Sun Vulture suddenly asked, "I can't do this right now. Let's just hack into the subspace and get the fragging weapon."

"Wow, what got into you?" Bumblebee inquired.

"I found out Cyclonus is the one that killed my mom," Sun Vulture replied sullenly, "Well, she isn't dead yet, but she might as well be. He attacked her, and he's the reason she's probably going to die. I just can't believe how we've come full circle on this. I feel like such an idiot! How could I not see that the Decepticons would be responsible for this? Then again, Mom was a former 'Con, so I guess I just don't think of them as evil. Eh, who knew, right?"

"Is that who you were sitting with? Your mom?" Bumblebee asked in concern.

"Yeah. You wanna see her? She won't be able to say hello, but...I dunno. I guess I'm not ready to be alone yet," Sun Vulture shrugged; unable to fully understand or convey how he was feeling in that moment.

Bumblebee nodded and followed the seeker to the cot on the opposite end of the room. He almost felt like he was intruding by following Sun Vulture to where his carrier lay, but at the same time he could tell that for once in his young life Sun Vulture was vulnerable. Bumblebee had been there before, so he knew how important friends could be. Of course, Sun Vulture's friends were the lowlives on the Porcelain Throne, and nobody knew where they were.

When Sun Vulture stepped aside to allow Bumblebee to see the femme laying on the cot, at first Bumblebee didn't understand the significance of what he was seeing. At first all he noticed was a frame with a welded injury to the chassis and a frame that was already starting to grey. After a moment though, he began to notice that the femme looked a lot like his mother. She had the same wide hood-like vents on her helm, the same pink and pastel green color scheme, and the same tiny fangs. Even her nails turrets were the same.

Then, as if being slapped in the face plate, he realized what should have been obvious. This femme didn't just look a little like his mother, she looked _exactly_ like his mother! There were only two explanations he could think of. One, Ophidelle had a twin sister on Kloryll. Two, this femme actually _was_ Ophidelle; Bumblebee's mother.

"Sun Vulture...What did you say your mother's name was?" Bumblebee asked in a mildly suspicious tone.

"Her designation is Vanish. Why?" Sun Vulture asked; not noticing the change in Bumblebee's demeanor.

"And how old are you?" Bumblebee asked pointedly.

"In earth years?" Sun Vulture asked, and Bumblebee nodded, "Um, either 19 or 20 earth years. I don't remember."

"19 earth years ago my mother was killed while trying to kill Starscream," Bumblebee told him.

"Wow, small universe," Sun Vulture commented indifferently, "It's a shame your carrier didn't finish the job."

"No, Sun Vulture! What I'm trying to say is...Wasn't your mother raped by Starscream? Isn't that the reason she fled to Kloryll colony?" Bumblebee asked in a more heated tone than he meant to.

"Yeah, _so_?" Sun Vulture asked; starting to grow impatient with Bumblebee's seemingly random thought process.

Before Bumblebee could finish, however, they both heard a low-pitched scream from the doorway and saw a old brown mech looking at Cyclonus with a mixture of fear and anger.

"Oh, hey Grind Shift," Sun Vulture greeted the old mech casually, "Hope you don't mind the extra patient. I made a deal with him, and now I regret it. Sorry to say though that I can't exactly return what he gave me, so I have to help him."

"Sun Vulture! What is _wrong_ with you, youngling? That beast shot your mother!" Grind Shift shouted accusingly as he pointed to the unconscious Decepticon, "Not only that, but this colony went three orns without energon because of him! Oh, I'm grateful Vanish cannot see this. She would be so disappointed."

"Funny, Medallion said the same thing about you," Sun Vulture replied cheekily; his old attitude shining through.

"Who's the yellow minibot?" Grind Shift suddenly asked when he saw that Sun Vulture wasn't alone.

"Oh, this is Bumblebee. I sold him to some Quintessons and then got captured by the Decepticons with him," Sun Vulture explained, "I guess that makes him a work colleague."

Bumblebee facepalmed at that terminology. Though to be fair, Bumblebee didn't really know how to describe their relationship either. They weren't friends, but they weren't exactly enemies either. Sun Vulture kind of reminded Bumblebee of a younger flying version of Swindle, but even that wasn't completely accurate. Sun Vulture wasn't greedy; he was just an aft that was easily distracted by shiny things. Maybe if Bumblebee had some car keys to dangle he could distract Sun Vulture long enough to get away from him completely.

"Well, as long as he isn't a friend of the purple people eater over there, I suppose we should show him hospitality," Grind Shift conceded, "So Bumblebee, have you refueled yet?"

"Yes sir," Bumblebee replied respectfully, "Um, sir? May I ask you something about Vanish?"

"Vanish? Well, I don't see why not," Grind Shift replied warily.

"When she came here a quarter joor ago, what kind of condition was she in?" Bumblebee asked.

"Very battered, to be honest," Grind Shift replied sadly, "Considering she came to this planet injured, carrying, and with no desire to speak to anyone, I was inclined to assume she had left a hostile domestic situation. I don't really know much though. While Vanish is a kind femme she isn't the type to talk about deep matters with people. Topics of conversation were usually mundane and innocent. I can't imagine how anyone could want to harm her the way she was hurt all those stellar cycles ago, or now for that matter."

"My sire wasn't her sparkmate," Sun Vulture interjected, "She was raped by her superior officer. She was bonded, but he didn't even care. He was trined to her own brother, but that didn't matter to him. I heard he actually killed his own trine just to spite Megatron one last time. Mechs like him should be shot."

"As I recall, he was," Grind Shift reminded him with a small dose of gallows humor.

"Sun Vulture," Bumblebee addressed the seeker, but he was staring down at the prone femme on the berth, "I don't know how to tell you this, but based off the information I've gathered and, well, my own optics...it seems that your mother...is also my mother."


	10. Two Is a Crowd

_Author's Notes: Well, I actually feel kind of guilty about this one. I wrote about 70% of this chapter months ago, but for whatever reason I got distracted and therefore it took way longer to finish than it should have. Sorry about that, everybody. Anyway, this fic is back and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter of "Cannot Stand" ^_^'_

* * *

Chapter 10

Two Is a Crowd

Cyclonus was unconscious, but his spark was still slightly aware of the pain he was experiencing. He knew his life's energy was slowly seeping out of his Byzalite casing and wafting into the ether. His subconscious wondered briefly if this was how he was to die. He considered how short his life had been. It had only been a couple stellar cycles since he had been forged by Unicron to serve Galvatron, and an even shorter time since Galvatron had returned from the planet of lava to lead the Decepticons to glory. It was a good life, but it was too short.

As these thoughts strayed through Cyclonus' subconscious processor, he suddenly felt something near him in his spark. This was a strange sensation, but it felt as if another presence was there with him within his very core. He sometimes could feel Scourge this way when the other herald was in pain or distressed. It was a faint yet fraternal bond he had with Scourge. Now he felt another; a strange entity within his spark bond.

He panicked, fearing it was Unicron come to torment him and the other heralds once again. He knew hiding would not make the new presence go away however, so he tentatively prodded the bond to see what was there.

The first thing Cyclonus felt from the other presence was shock at being approached. Next was confusion that was very similar to his own. He sent a questioning surge, and he received apprehension in return. He tried sending a stern warning, and in return he got an emotion he didn't expect; _joy_.

It didn't make any sense to Cyclonus, but the other being was elated for some reason. He questioned it, and received relief, joy, curiosity, and love.

 _Love_? That was unusual to say the least. Even Scourge never sent anything that felt like that. This new presence was warm, welcoming, and happy. Cyclonus couldn't remember any feeling this raw before, and yet his spark told him that this was how it was supposed to be.

Suddenly sharp pain spiked through the bond, and at first Cyclonus thought it was his own, but then he realized the other one was in pain as well. He sent questions, and the other sent comfort and reassurance that everything was fine. Everything was clearly _not_ fine. Cyclonus felt his spark ebbing away and it hurt. He realized though that the other one was in pain as well. He probed to see if he could tell what was wrong with the other. The other resisted, but Cyclonus' will was stronger and he soon learned that the other had sustained potentially mortal damage. His other was dying just as he was.

Cyclonus' logical mind would have tried to assess the situation, but he didn't have access to anything except his spark and his subconscious, and his spark cried out to save the other. It didn't matter that Cyclonus had no idea who or what this other presence was. The other was warm and loving, and Cyclonus' spark wanted that feeling more than anything. The sensation felt like home, and he desperately needed it to remain.

* * *

"That's not something you should joke about, _Autobot_ ," Sun Vulture growled upon hearing Bumblebee's revelation.

"It's true. This is my mother," Bumblebee insisted, "Her name is Ophidelle, and she was a Decepticon spy. My sire's name was Leodox, and they lived in-"

"Hold it!" Sun Vulture interrupted him, "Leodox?"

"Yes, Leodox. He was my sire," Bumblebee repeated.

"Mother often spoke of her late bondmate," Sun Vulture told him, "I've never heard the name Ophidelle, but I don't see how you could know about Leodox any other way. Tell me, do you know what happened to him?"

"He was killed by Starscream," Bumblebee replied; his expression hard at being forced to remember that awful day.

"Wow...So you're like, my brother," Sun Vulture whispered in amazement, "Well then, I'm glad I tried to turn you in for that bounty."

"What!?" Bumblebee exclaimed; offended.

"If I hadn't then I never would have met you," Sun Vulture replied with a cheeky smirk, "Hm, I wonder how come Mother never mentioned you. I didn't even know I had a brother."

"What I can't help but wonder is why she never bothered to contact me," Bumblebee pondered bitterly, "She was alive this whole time. I could've communicated with her, seen her, helped her. Why didn't she just...? She knew I was on earth. Sure, I left for missions on Moon Base 2, but I was mostly on earth. She could've found me, or she could've come to the Autobots in the first place. They would've forgiven her, I'm sure of it. I just don't understand..."

Bumblebee then kneeled down to be next to his mother's prone form. She was turning more and more grey by the minute, and it looked like she was fighting a losing battle against whatever attack she had sustained. He couldn't believe Cyclonus could cause so much damage, but then again he had to remind himself that his mother was trained as a spy, not a warrior.

A few breems later Medallion returned to the room with a gold and green Byzalite casing for Cyclonus' spark. Bumblebee looked at it angrily, thinking how unfair it was that Cyclonus could be fixed so easily when his mother was still dying. Medallion went to the large Decepticon jet and made a disgusted face before beginning the operation that would save his unwanted patient's life.

"Sun Vulture, do you know what kind of part our mother needs to survive?" Bumblebee asked; almost afraid to know the answer.

"I do, actually," Sun Vulture replied solemnly, "She has a lot of damage, but the biggest problem is her dual-intake toxin regulator."

"Her what?" Bumblebee asked, not familiar with medical jargon.

"It's an old part that keeps her body from corroding," Sun Vulture explained, "She was built back when triple changers were still a new concept, so they had a lot of parts that would wear out in new atmospheres without dual-intake toxin regulators. This is especially important for Mother thanks to her fang acid. The part isn't manufactured anymore because most Cybertronians that were built with them have already died. She's...pretty old, actually. I know a lot of Cybertronians are, but most models built for the Third Cybertronian War have already died. That's what war does, I guess. I found a mech that will sell me the part, but he wants 47,000 credits for it, and I don't have that kind of cash. I sold a lot of my jewelry, but that still wasn't enough. I saved up my bounties, but that wasn't enough either. Selling you and that pink femme was my last shot. Now I don't have enough time to try again."

Bumblebee didn't know what to say to that. He looked first at the forlorn face plate of Sun Vulture, his little brother apparently, and then back down at his mother. She hadn't moved since they got there, and if they didn't get her that part she would likely never move again. Bumblebee didn't know what to do though. He didn't have the credits she needed either. Most commissioned Autobots didn't need currency.

Suddenly, on the other side of the room, they could hear Cyclonus coughing as Medallion backed away from the Decepticon in trepidation. Cyclonus' arms twitched and his chassis heaved as he hacked up energon. He turned onto his side and coughed up more energon before onlining his optics and staring blearily around the room.

"Well, it seems the casing transfer was a success," Medallion commented as he stood as close to Sun Vulture and Bumblebee as possible to avoid being too close to Cyclonus, "He should be fully alert any moment now. Hopefully he won't rob us blind again."

Cyclonus then stood up and staggered closer to the group of gawking Cybertronians, and reached out in a daze like a zombie in a horror film. Sun Vulture noticed that the purple Decepticon's attention was on his unconscious mother, so he pulled out an energy pistol and aimed it at the 'Con's newly repaired spark.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll blast you!" Sun Vulture barked commandingly.

Cyclonus stopped, and seemed to notice Sun Vulture and the others for the first time. His intakes sounded ragged and his body sagged. He didn't really look well enough to do any damage, but Sun Vulture would take no chances.

"The...other..." Cyclonus croaked out, his vocalizer barely audible, "...I...feel it. There..."

"Is he hallucinating?" Bumblebee asked Medallion.

"I don't know," Medallion replied shakily, "Just please help me find something to sedate him. He's a danger to our colonists."

"Warm..." Cyclonus rasped; barely above a whisper, "...Help. Dying..."

"You are no longer dying, Mr. Cyclonus," Medallion assured him begrudgingly, "We have stabilized your spark and you will make a full recovery. Now, you really should go back to recharge. You need your rest."

Cyclonus didn't know what to do. He felt like he was in caught between two roads of oncoming traffic with no way out. He knew he needed to return to Galvatron and the Decepticons, but his spark wanted to find the other. He could sense that he was close and that the other would die without help, but no one understood him. He didn't even fully understand the situation himself. All he knew was that someone had reached out to him, and that this someone was close.

"I want...to recharge," Cyclonus finally said; feeling feeble and childlike as he uttered those words.

 _Recharge_. He was unconscious when he found the other. Maybe if he was in recharge he would find the other again. Maybe this time he could save them. Maybe the other was another former herald. Either way he had to find them again, and reach out to them.

Cyclonus was too disoriented to guide himself back to the berth, so Bumblebee reluctantly took him by the arm and led him to his cot. Once he was laying down again, Cyclonus drifted off in search of his other.

...

Once Cyclonus returned to the innermost sanctum of his spark he immediately felt the other desperately grabbing for him; the spark still in tremendous pain. Cyclonus took hold of the spark signature and held tight; sending as much assurance as he could manage.

He wanted so badly to communicate with the other, but he didn't know how. Scourge was the only one that held a family bond with him, and neither of them took any time to explore the limits of their bond very often. He didn't understand what he could and could not do, and therefore didn't know how to help the other.

The pain intensified, and then he could feel rather than hear the spark of the other screaming. It was such an intense pain and fear that Cyclonus felt overwhelmed by it; as if a physical wave of pain was battering him against the walls of his sanity. He vaguely wondered if this was what Galvatron's spark would feel like; madness mixed with pain and fear. Galvatron's would probably have some anger too, Cyclonus decided.

Then, amid the inaudible cries of the spark bond, Cyclonus heard something coherent from the other, but he still couldn't make sense of the word...

 _SKYWARP_!

* * *

The crew of the Porcelain Throne had spent two orns in a holding cell in Autobot territory. They all knew they could very well spend the rest of their lives in prison, not because they were bounty hunters but rather because most had war crimes on their records as former Decepticons.

Barge knew it was her responsibility to get her crew out of this mess. Sun Vulture would've likely already thought of a plan to free them by now if he were there and still alive. Barge had to believe he was still living. He was too clever and too proud to let himself be offlined by a bunch of plug ugly squid monsters.

Barge observed the guards' behaviors and routines, but she didn't learn as much from this as she had hoped. She never saw the same mech or femme twice, and none of them seemed particularly lazy. Breaking out of this prison was going to be harder than she had originally thought.

/Hey cap'n?/ Chamber Lock addressed her from another cell via the comm, /I think I see a blind spot in the guard's patrol./

/Oh, really? And whar's that?/ Barge asked with equal parts curiosity and skepticism given that Chamber Lock was kind of an idiot.

/'Tis by Sunspot's cell,/ Chamber Lock replied, /No one checks on Sunspot because he be a former Autobot. We need to pass him somethin' to short out his energy bars with. Anybody got anythin'?/

/Nothing,/ Roughhouse replied in disappointment.

/Nope. Nada,/ Their crewmech Butcher replied.

/Sorry. They emptied my subspace,/ Navigator reported.

/I've nothin' either,/ Barge lamented.

/I have something!/ A motorcycle-former named Scythe exclaimed, /Will a small laser pistol work? I hid it in between my leg armor and my protoform. They didn't even check!/

/At least it wasn't up yer tailpipe,/ Barge remarked, /Alright then Scythe, scoot it across to Navigator, and Navigator will scoot it diagonally over to Chamber Lock, and then Chamber Lock will scoot it to Sunspot. Sunspot, ya need to shoot at yer cell door quickly and precisely. Then start releasin' the crew. When the Autobots start runnin' for ya, then get outta there. Even if there's more of us still trapped, run! Ya understand me, younglin'?/

/Yes sir!/ Sunspot replied in clipped formal tones, /I won't let you down./

/Good, now start scootin', Scythe,/ Barge ordered even as she looked around both sides to make sure no Autobots were coming for them.

The mechs did precisely as ordered. The crew was an efficient unit and before long that laser pistol had been scooted across the floor like a hockey puck until it finally slid into Sunspot's cell. All that was missing was for someone to mark the goal on a scoreboard.

Sunspot was careful as he jammed the laser pistol into the wedge between the energy bars and the door facing. Once the bars went dead a warning klaxon immediate began to blare, and Sunspot wasted no time in running down the corridor and shooting the locking mechanisms on every cell he came across. He couldn't get to every cell, so those that were freed went back and unlocked those Sunspot couldn't reach.

It only took a breem before Autobot guards were on their tail. Barge and the triple changers bowled over the Autobots in their way and the smaller crew members ran behind them once the path was cleared. There were Autobots behind the ruffians running after them, so the crew members all transformed except for Barge who knew her boat form wouldn't help her out of this situation.

/Roughhouse,/ Barge spoke gruffly through the comm, /We're looking fer the Porcelain Throne. They have it impounded around here somewhar. Listen mech, if they catch me, then yer in charge. Understand?"

/They won't catch you, ma'am,/ Roughhouse replied resolutely.

/Eh, as long as you know,/ Barge sighed in resignation.

The crew eventually got separated while evading the Autobot guards chasing them. Each one searched the various rooms in search of their ship. It was Butcher who was the first one to spot the impound lot and alert everyone else over the comm where the coordinates were.

Butcher ran into the ship and soon heard Autobots storm into the room to guard it against intruders. He waited with stalled intakes for something bad to happen, but fortunately they didn't search inside the ships, so Butcher was safe. The rust colored seeker watched and waited for his crew, and a few breems later he saw a pair of motorcycle-formers make a break for it and get shot down by the Autobots. He tried to warn the others via comm link, but there was too much interference.

Five more crew members were taken down and returned to their cells before a mob of bounty hunters led by Barge mowed down the guards in short order. Butcher was relieved their first mate and several crewmechs had returned safely, but unfortunately they had to leave the other seven behind. The Autobots would at least keep them alive, but Sun Vulture's life was in grave danger as far as they knew, and they had to find him before it was too late.


End file.
